


our monuments shall be the maws of kites

by seraf



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Characters will be added as they appear - Freeform, Fix-It, Gay Amami Rantaro, Ghosts, Implied/Referenced Incest, Implied/Referenced Suicide, POV Akamatsu Kaede, Possession, Supernatural Elements, Trans Amami Rantaro, does it count as kaede lives if she's a ghost?, schrodinger's kaede
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2020-03-08 21:52:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 54,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18903361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seraf/pseuds/seraf
Summary: kaede akamatsu wakes up alone, in an empty trial room, after she dies.rantaro amami wakes up alone, on the carpet his blood once stained, after he dies.it's surprising how quickly you learn to adjust.( discord for this story is now here https://discordapp.com/invite/h6aZFNu ! )





	1. Chapter 1

surprisingly, it didn’t take kaede long to adjust to being dead.

 

she wakes up in the empty trial room. it’s cold and artificial and dark. when she holds up her hand, she can see through her fingers. she finds herself accepting all of this easily, as though in a dream. you don’t question how logic works in a dream. she’s not sure if she walks over to the elevator shaft or floats, if she rides it back up or if she flies or if she just suddenly teleports, but she goes from being in the courtroom to drifting towards the library.

 

‘ kaede? ‘

 

she looks around, and sees someone walking in her direction, and claps a hand over her mouth, inhaling sharply.

 

rantaro amami is approaching her, face mild as ever, and green hair matted down with violently pink blood at the back of his head, dripping down the back of his neck. kaede finds herself backpedaling, eyes stinging. she expects her back to hit the wall nearby, and finds herself stumbling through it, crashing to the library floor, and holds back a wave of nausea.

 

rantaro steps through the wall a second later, hands raised as though approaching a spooked animal. ‘ kaede! i’m not going to hurt you, i promise. ‘

 

‘ you - you died, ‘ she tells him inanely, staring up at him.

 

he laughs in the self-effacing way he has, one hand resting on the back of his head. unfortunately, given the . . . circumstances, his hand comes away sticky with blood. ‘ yeah, i suppose i did, huh? ‘ he offers her that same hand up, and she blinks, because the blood is suddenly gone. ‘ though it must be said . . . you don’t look too good, yourself. ‘

 

she doesn’t take his hand.

 

‘ i’m so sorry, ‘ she says to him, staring at his face blindly, eyes stinging. she doesn’t even need to breathe, anymore, but her breath catches behind her ribs nonetheless, and she feels as though she’s choking. ( she remembers dying, now. a small inane part of her is almost offended by how terrible the music had sounded. )

 

he frowns, crouching down in front of her when it seems as though she isn’t going to get up. ‘ sorry for what? ‘

 

‘ i killed you, ‘ she says, though she’s impressed he understands her at all. she mouths it more than she really says it, noiseless. he blinks at her, nonplussed.

 

‘ no you didn’t. ‘

 

‘ i _did,_ ‘ she finds herself insisting, ‘ i put the shotput ball into the vent, and - that’s how i died. the trial - that’s how i died. they found me guilty for your - for killing you. ‘

 

‘ but you _didn’t,_ ‘ he says, shifting to kneel in front of her, brows drawing together. ‘ i think i know what you’re talking about, though. when i reached out towards the flash, there _was_ a shotput ball that dropped from the top shelf, but it missed me entirely. ‘ he stands up, walking over to the shelf where he’d died - and then walking past it, almost two shelves over. ‘ it fell here. ‘

 

she just stares at him, blankly.

 

finally, she finds her voice. ‘ then . . . who _did_ kill you? ‘

 

he doesn’t answer, walking back over to the bookshelf where he had been killed, and reaches out for it. just like they’d walked through the wall, his arm goes through, and kaede’s eyes widen as she understands. ‘ we can finally go through there! ‘ she bursts out.

 

he gives her a little smile, guarded and revealing nothing. ‘ let’s go together. ‘

 

and so, together, they step through the bookcase - there’s a second of going through darkness, the hidden door much thicker than the wall had been. the room they emerge into is . . . bizarre, to say the least. there’s a clear ominous mood, room dimly lit and a giant monokuma head underneath a glass dome, black side of its face a mess of twisted metal.

 

on a bench rests a monopad, splattered with blood in a reverse handprint. rantaro points at it. ‘ that’s mine, ‘ he says, and kaede isn’t sure if he’s saying it to her or more to himself.

 

‘ but we found your monopad on your body, ‘ she says, confused, wringing her hands - her nails are brightly colored thanks to the dead boy in front of her, and she’s doing her best not to chew them. then again . . . would it have any sort of effect?

 

‘ no, this is . . . a different one, ‘ he says, and doesn’t elaborate. he reaches down and tries to pick it up, but like everything else, his hand just goes through it. ‘ well. that’s disappointing. ‘

 

‘ another monopad? what was on it? ‘

 

‘ . . . remind me to tell you later, ‘ he says with a deflecting little smile that clearly says _don’t keep prodding._ kaede swallows, but - it feels like she doesn’t have the _right_ to push it. whatever rantaro says, they had declared her guilty, so she _must_ have killed him. that was how this works, wasn’t it?

 

while she stood there, frozen in place, rantaro was beginning to investigate the room - as much as he was able to without touching anything. she can’t help but break into nervous giggles as he sticks his head directly through one of the drawers to check what’s inside after realizing he can’t open them. she begins to move, herself, walking towards the glass monokuma dome and swallowing - it unnerved her, deeply.

 

‘ kaede, ‘ rantaro says, carefully. ‘ i think you should see this. ‘ she turns to look at him where he crouches, looking into . . . the garbage can? she walks over, anyway, and peers in to see what he’s looking at. he looks up at her. ‘ do you believe me now? ‘

 

all she can do is stare at the shotput ball with pink thread sitting there. ‘ that’s - ‘

 

‘ that’s the one you used, i think, ‘ he says, voice _far_ too mild considering the circumstances.

 

her hand finds her throat, holding where the collar had snapped around her neck. ‘ so . . . there was no reason for me to die? ‘ she asks, voice faint. ‘ but why did the trial go like that, then? does that mean that monokuma would have executed _anyone_ they ended up voting guilty? ‘ she swallowed, and shifted to look at rantaro. ‘ if this is here, then . . . rantaro, who _did_ kill you? ‘

 

‘ i’m . . . not certain, ‘ he says slowly. ‘ i only got a brief glimpse of them before, well. ‘ he gestures slightly. ‘ but . . . i think it was tsumugi. ‘

 

‘ _tsumugi?_ ‘ kaede exclaimed. of all the people she was considering that could be the mastermind, tsumugi was probably _last_ on her list. her or shuichi. but . . . she considered, slowly, maybe that was the point.

 

he shrugs. ‘ i might be wrong, you know. ‘ his grin is a little bit wry. ‘ you know, they say head injuries can cause some memory issues. ‘

 

kaede crosses her arms, cheeks puffing out slightly. ‘ that’s not funny. ‘

 

‘ you’re probably right, ‘ he agrees, standing up. ‘ so - should we just . . . stay here until tsumugi, or whoever the mastermind is, comes back? ‘

 

‘ maybe we should explore a little more, ‘ kaede says, resting her fist in one palm. ‘ the card reader still had the dust shuichi put in it, so there has to be another way into this room, y’know? ‘

 

rantaro nods contemplatively. ‘ that’s pretty smart, kaede. ‘ his smile is a little bit bitter, just for a second, before it becomes easy-going all over again. ‘ i wonder . . . what we might’ve been able to figure out if we’d worked together. ‘

 

‘ i wish we’d told you, ‘ kaede says, rubbing her upper arm. ‘ even if . . . my trap didn’t kill you. maybe you would’ve come with someone else. if we’d talked about it. ‘

 

he shrugs. ‘ if i had trusted someone, maybe you wouldn’t have felt the need to set the trap in the first place. it’s not as though we can change anything that happened, y’know? so don’t beat yourself up about it, kaede. ‘

 

something about that twinges in her chest, and she just breaks, just a little. her eyes bud over, tears rolling down her cheeks, and her knees give out under her. she can’t help but reel at the absurdity of the situation, kneeling on the floor of a secret evil room as a dead boy she met a week ago sits next to her and rubs her back in comforting circles, humming a comforting tune she can’t quite place.

 

she had tried so hard to keep their group together, and to find the mastermind. but in the end, she hadn’t accomplished any of that. all she’d managed is to get herself and rantaro killed. even if she didn’t kill him herself - tsumugi wouldn’t have used a shotput ball if it wasn’t for her, if she couldn’t pin the death on her.

 

it’s hard to mark the passing of time, without being able to see the changing of light outside or a clock, without being able to feel hungry or tired or thirsty, but eventually, she’s cried all it seems she’s able to. rantaro has sat by her the whole time.

 

‘ you alright? ‘ he asks her, voice gentle, a hand brushing over her hair.

 

‘ y-yeah, ‘ she says, shivering a little. ‘ thanks, rantaro. ‘

 

‘ it’s no problem. i helped my younger sisters like that all the time, ‘ he says warmly.

 

‘ oh, right! you mentioned you have sisters, ‘ kaede remembers. ‘ how many? ‘

 

rantaro rubs the back of his neck, looking . . . sheepish? now. ‘ you’re going to look at me like i’m crazy, ‘ he warns her, but it’s in the same mild voice he says everything else in, so kaede doesn’t know how seriously to take him.

 

‘ no, i’m curious! i promise i won’t. cross my heart, hope to d- well. i . . . guess that doesn’t really work for us? but i promise anyway! ‘

 

‘ well, ‘ he says, resting his hands on his hips, ‘ i’ve got twelve younger sisters, a set of twins close enough to my age that we just call each other triplets, and seven older sisters. ‘

 

kaede wasn’t aware of how obviously slack-jawed her expression must be until he points at her with a teasing grin. ‘ you promised, ‘ he reminds her, and hurriedly, she shuts her mouth, clamping her jaw shut.

 

‘ i did, ‘ she says weakly, ‘ but i was expecting you to say something like _six_ sisters, not twenty-one. are you . . . the only boy? ‘

 

‘ mmhm. ‘ he laughs, like he’s in on a joke she doesn’t know. ‘ of course, our parents love all of us, but they were so relieved when i found out i was a boy. twenty-two girls might just have been a little too much, you know? ‘

 

she blinked at him, confused by what he meant. how would he have _found out_ he was - well, she can ask later. rantaro just seems like the sort to be full of mysteries, it seems. she shakes her head at a sudden thought, her smile just a tiny bit guilty. ‘ between you and kiyo, one of you _definitely_ has to have a sister complex, ‘ she jokes.

 

‘ i’ve heard _that_ before, ‘ rantaro says, shaking his head, but unlike kiyo, he doesn’t actually seem that too offended by it. ‘ kiyo’s got an older sister, if i remember right. ‘

 

‘ mhm! ‘ kaede says brightly. ‘ i promised that i’d be friends with her, if we ever got out. ‘ her face falls, just a little. ‘ i . . . guess that’s another promise i broke, huh? ‘

 

‘ hey. that’s not your fault, either, ‘ rantaro says, resting a hand on her shoulder. ‘ come on. let’s see if we can find another way out of here. i don’t particularly want to spend the rest of the night here, do you? ‘

 

it’s kaede who finds the other exit, floating through the door and into . . . a closet? ‘ rantaro? ‘ she says, poking her head out through the door, ‘ i think i found something. ‘ he joins her a second later, and they both look at the closet, a little dubiously. ‘ it has to be a secret door, ‘ kaede says, frustrated. ‘ if only we could push the mechanisms somehow . . . ‘

 

rantaro stuck his head into the wall itself for a moment. ‘ it seems pretty easy, ‘ he says. ‘ i think if you just pushed it, it would open. ‘ he nods at the _real_ door, where it attaches to the school proper. ‘ where is this closet, anyway? i don’t remember seeing it on my map. or the passage. ‘

 

‘ why would you see the passage? ‘ kaede asks, confused. ‘ it’s hidden for a reason. ‘

 

he’s silent for a moment. ‘ you have a good point, ‘ he says, and his _i don’t want to keep talking about it_ smile returns in full force, simple but absolutely shutting her down. ‘ let’s check it out? ‘

 

a second later, they’re both blinking, dumbfounded.

 

‘ the secret passageway is . . . in the girls’ bathroom, ‘ rantaro says mildly. kaede isn’t sure if he’s trying to process it, or just saying it out loud to really cement the absurdity of it all.

 

but suddenly a thought hits her, and she gasps. ‘ rantaro! during the trial, when we were talking about alibis - kiyo said that tsumugi left the dinner table to go to the bathroom. do you think it might’ve been this one? ‘

 

he takes that in his stride. ‘ well it . . . certainly lends credence to that theory, ‘ he says slowly, nodding.

 

‘ speaking of . . . do you think we can talk to the others, like this? will they be able to see us? ‘ kaede asks.

 

rantaro shrugs. ‘ i don’t think so. i . . . woke up? in time to see some of the investigation taking place. and - clearly, nobody noticed me. or - if they did, they didn’t make it seem like it. ‘

 

kaede nods slowly. she sighs, beginning to walk out of the bathroom. ‘ do you think we can sleep like this? i don’t really _want_ to stay up all night with nothing to do. ‘

 

‘ well, it’s worth a try, ‘ rantaro says, shrugging. ‘ do you think we should go to our rooms? ‘

 

kaede grips her upper arm, shifting a little. ‘ this is . . . dumb, but can i stay in your room? i can’t help but worry that if - if we split up, i’m not going to see you again. you’re just going to be _dead_ dead. ‘

 

rantaro smiles easily. ‘ sure. it can be like a sleepover! i don’t mind sleeping on the floor. i did it all the time with my sisters. ‘

 

‘ right! ‘ kaede says, and very pointedly refuses to think about the fact that rantaro has _twenty-one_ sisters. she’s still reeling a little at that information.

 

rantaro’s room is comfortable and a little plain. it seems like he didn’t have the chance to decorate it much before he died. kaede climbed onto the bed before having a sudden thought. ‘ hey, rantaro . . . how are we able to sit on things without going through them? ‘

 

‘ maybe it’s for the best we don’t think about it too hard, ‘ rantaro says lightly. ‘ good night, kaede. ‘

 

she doesn’t remember actually drifting off. but when she wakes up, it isn’t in rantaro’s room - she’s back in the dark trial room. she shivers, heading back up the elevator shaft as quickly as possible. the sun shines straight through her, but she’s glad for it. maybe it’s just her imagination, but it feels like she can feel the sun on her skin.

 

it must be nearly breakfast time, right? everyone must be meeting in the dining hall. maybe . . . there’s a chance rantaro will be there, too.

 

she almost literally runs into him on her way there. ‘ oh! rantaro! i woke up, but i was - ‘

 

he cuts her off, nodding. ‘ me too. i woke up in front of the bookshelf. i think . . . if we sleep or so on, we just return to the place where we died. ‘ kaede shivers at that. she doesn’t find the idea of waking up in that creepy trial room again appealing.

 

in the kitchen, it seems as though nobody notices them, not even when rantaro walks through the table or cups his hands over his mouth, calling out a long ‘ hellooooooo? ‘ as people file in. disgruntled, kaede just sits on the edge of the counter, rantaro leaning on it next to her.

 

‘ hey, did you see that? ‘ rantaro asks, suddenly, pointing. a few more people are walking in - maki, ryoma, kiyo, and himiko. kaede follows the line of rantaro’s vision to look at - kiyo. she shivers, looking at him.

 

everyone else seems decidedly solid, but there’s something . . . _other,_ about kiyo. like his shadow is cast just a little bit too sharply, his form seeming just a little thinner, now. and . . . there was a silver sort of glow, radiating off of him, as well as a few flickers of _something._ like echoes or afterimages.

 

‘ creepy, ‘ kaede says, shivering and hugging herself. ‘ that guy already seemed a little . . . off. he seems like something from a ghost story. ‘

 

rantaro doesn’t even bother to hide his amusement. ‘ . . . kaede, _we’re_ ghosts. ‘

 

‘ i know! ‘ she says defensively. ‘ but we don’t look like . . . _that,_ right? ‘ and as she points at kiyo, they both watch with wide eyes as the silver aura surrounding him _shifts,_ the torso of a young woman almost budding off his shoulder. she looked like him, long haired and slim and effeminate, but she doesn’t appear to be wearing anything other than a simple yukata. she’s smiling, and something about it crawls up kaede’s spine.

 

‘ what the fuck? ‘ rantaro murmurs, and kaede can’t help but agree with the sentiment as the woman whispers something into kiyo’s ear, floating to hover in front of him. her hands . . . seemingly slip into his own, his hands regaining that silver aura as she moves her arms, and _he_ embraces himself, seemingly. but it looks . . . like she’s hugging him, through his own body.

 

‘ i . . . don’t understand, ‘ kaede says, staring until the breakfast group has begun to dissolve. ‘ was that . . . another dead person? but - we’re the only ones who have died here! ‘

 

‘ well, it _does_ explain why he’s always holding himself, ‘ rantaro muses.

 

‘ you’re adjusting to this _way_ too quickly, ‘ kaede accuses.

 

he shrugs, easygoing as ever. ‘ maybe! but it’s not like there’s anything else we can do but adapt. we might as well. ‘ he points out the door. ‘ you think we should follow him for a bit, though? they’re exploring new parts of the school as well. maybe we’ll see something interesting. ‘

 

still thoroughly unnerved, kaede nods, and the two of them follow the group investigating part of the school - angie, kiyo, himiko, tenko, and . . . tsumugi. kaede can’t help but glare daggers into her back, nails digging into the meat of her palms.

 

suddenly, kiyo splits off from the main group, taking his leave with a brief farewell, and beginning to head towards . . . the library? kaede and rantaro look at each other in confusion before following him carefully. maybe he’s just seeing if the remainder of rantaro’s death is gone.

 

when the door swings shut behind kiyo, and they’ve both floated through it, he suddenly speaks. ‘ hello, kaede. rantaro. i must admit . . . i was unsure if i would see you again in an environment like this. ‘


	2. Chapter 2

for a moment, kaede and rantaro just stare.

 

‘ you can . . . see us? ‘ kaede asks, tentatively. ‘ why didn’t you say anything before? ‘

 

kiyo inclined one hand as though drawing some simple conclusion. ‘ kaede, you saw me as unnerving before, yes? i am aware that this is how most of you see me. i did not believe it would help that image any more if the rest saw me appear to be speaking to myself. ‘ his voice sounds vaguely amused. ‘ besides. i did tell you i have communicated with the dead before, yes? ‘

 

‘ well. . .‘ kaede admitted a little guiltily, thinking back about it, ‘ you did, but i kind of just wrote it off as you still being creepy. ‘

 

‘ _quod erat demonstrandum, ‘_ kiyo murmurs, arms wrapping around himself. his eyes close, face relaxing just a little. kaede thinks it might be his way of smiling. ‘ even now, i am sure you have some qualms about me. ‘ he tips one finger up slightly. ‘ as is only sensible. though you have no reason to fear me, now that you have already joined the ranks of the dead. ‘

 

‘ not very reassuring, ‘ rantaro says mildly, and kiyo laughs, in that odd breathy way he has.

 

‘ perhaps, ‘ he acquiesces. ‘ yet you stay. ‘

 

‘ you’re the only person we’ve been able to talk to, ‘ rantaro reasons. ‘ speaking of, we did wonder something. ‘

 

kiyo’s eyes widen, eyebrows raised, and he covers his mouth - kaede supposes - with one bandaged hand. ‘ oh? whatever could it be? ‘

 

‘ there’s a woman with you, ‘ kaede says, slowly. ‘ sort of like us, but . . . not. and sometimes - mostly - it looks like she’s just . . . in you. like - it makes you look almost like you’re glowing. ‘ as she says it, she shuffles her feet a little awkwardly, thinking about how absurd all of this seems.

 

kiyo just _considers_ her for a long moment, and the light suddenly . . . mutes, a little.

 

no, that’s not quite correct, kaede thinks. it’s more as if . . . the light and he had been two superimposed images, before, and now they had just been combined, instead. she jerks, surprised, as kiyo’s fingers reach for the edge of his mask, pulling it down.

 

she wasn’t sure what she expected to see, under there. but immaculately applied red lipstick _hadn’t_ been it. as well . . . maybe it’s just the absence of the mask making other things stand out, but kiyo looks decidedly different. she might just be seeing things, but it almost . . . looks like kiyo’s chest has _changed._ his eyes are less snake-yellow, and closer to light green. and . . .

 

she shudders. when they had been investigating rantaro’s body, they had seen his dead eyes, glassy and ominous. kiyo’s eyes, now, look like that. like someone had turned him into an upright corpse.

 

he also had much longer eyelashes.

 

‘ it’s a pleasure to meet you, ‘ kiyo - is it kiyo? says, voice softer, more effeminate. ‘ i am korekiyo’s older sister. ‘

 

‘ . . . kiyo? ‘ kaede asks slowly. ‘ wait, why are you saying you are - ‘

 

‘ my brother is so generous, ‘ kiyo’s sister says, eyes fluttering shut and arms crossed over her chest gently. ‘ he was willing to do anything for me. he agreed to share this body, too. we are bound to each other, thanks to his efforts. ‘

 

well that was . . . incredibly creepy. kaede tried to keep her expresssion neutral. then, her eyes widened. ‘ oh, wait - kiyo . . . he asked if i could become one of your friends. but you’re dead? does he have another older sister? ‘

 

sister laughs softly behind one hand. it’s a derisive little giggle, almost cruel, as if she’s in on a joke kaede could never understand. ‘ no, no, it has only ever been the two of us. that matter is . . .one that can be discussed another time. ‘ she extends out one of kiyo’s bandaged hands in kaede’s direction with a blood-red, deceptive smile. ‘ i would be glad to call you a friend, kaede akamatsu. ‘

 

kaede glanced at rantaro for a moment, unsure, but tried her best to smile back at kiyo’s sister, reaching out in her own turn. to her surprise, she was able to grasp kiyo’s - kiyo’s sister’s? - hand. she had promised, after all. so she musters up her most enthusiastic possible smile, given the circumstances. ‘ me too! it’s nice to meet you. ‘

 

the hand withdraws to pull up the mask, and suddenly, it’s very clearly _kiyo_ again, one elbow resting on his opposite hand. ‘ i am . . . not much of one to say i told you so, but i never did believe you could end the killing game by yourself, ‘ he says, looking to rantaro now. ‘ and now, for all your assurance, you were the first of us to pass to the realm of the nonliving. ‘

 

‘ so being ominous is a family characteristic, ‘ rantaro murmurs to kaede, his elbow bumping hers briefly, and she can’t help but giggle.

 

‘ don’t be rude, ‘ she whispers at him with a nudge of her elbow, but she’s grateful to him for making things just a little bit lighter.

 

kiyo has an eyebrow raised, ever so slightly, but he doesn’t comment on their insight. rantaro turns to him, arms crossed slightly. ‘ you’re right, ‘ he says, with a nonchalant shrug, before attempting a smile, almost a little sheepish. ‘ i hope i get some credit for trying in your eyes, at least? ‘

 

‘ indeed, ‘ kiyo says, tipping his head slightly in assent. ‘ your resolve was always something i found beautiful. no matter how short-lived it may have been. ‘ was that a joke? a bit of a dark one, kaede thought, a little uncomfortably. kiyo looked between her and rantaro. ‘ i must say, i am surprised. i didn’t expect a killer and victim to be getting along so well. ‘

 

‘ kaede didn’t kill me, ‘ rantaro says, expression going a dark kind of serious for a moment. ‘ we’ve got a pretty good theory on who did, but it wasn’t her. the shotput ball on the bookcase missed me entirely. ‘

 

kiyo takes this in for a moment, chin resting on one hand. ‘ . . . i am not entirely surprised. when examining your body, it did look as though you might have been struck twice with the shot. however, i assumed i was simply mistaken, given shuichi’s own conclusions made a convincing case. ‘

 

‘ why didn’t you bring that up in the trial? ‘ kaede exclaimed.

 

kiyo shrugged. ‘ would it have changed anything? the evidence against you was incriminating. and had i brought it up, the conclusion to be drawn would either be that i was wrong, lying, or that someone else had done it - which would have gotten us nowhere, since everyone had alibis. i convinced myself that i was simply wrong in my observations, because that was the conclusion events led me to beleve was right. ‘

 

‘ i guess . . . ‘ kaede says slowly, but she can’t help but feel a tiny bit resentful. can’t help but imagine what might have happened if the trial had gone differently. but . . . even she had believed she was guilty, hadn’t she? she couldn’t blame kiyo.

 

‘ so you can see ghosts, ‘ rantaro points out, mildly.

 

‘ yes, ‘ kiyo replies, not chastizing him for pointing out the obvious. ‘ after sister died, i pursued . . . various paths of being able to speak with her again. i came to the eventual conclusion that resurrection of the dead was foolish to try, but communication, in various levels, is very possible. ‘

 

‘ so, is that part of how you became the ultimate anthropologist? ‘ kaede asks, curious despite herself.

 

‘ indeed. during my pursuits, i published a few hundred papers detailing the parallels in different cultures surrounding death, the development of various traditions, the intersections and changes thereof, and so on. as well as other things i found notable while i was travelling. ‘

 

‘ that’s pretty impressive, ‘ rantaro says, with a small smile. ‘ i remember . . . i don’t know why, but i know i’ve done a lot of travelling as well. shame we’re stuck here, or i’d be curious to travel beside you at some point. ‘

 

‘ hey, we might still get out of here! ‘ kaede interjects, frown creasing her brow.

 

‘ kaede, ‘ rantaro says gently, ‘ in case you haven’t noticed, _we’re_ dead. ‘

 

‘ ah, ‘ kiyo says. ‘ you’re worried you will return here, no matter where you go. remedying that . . it’s a simple enough measure of . . . hm. shifting your anchor, perhaps. ‘

 

‘ korekiyo made himself _my_ anchor, for example, ‘ coos his sister, tugging down the mask once again. ‘ i am very proud of him. ‘

 

‘ thank you, sister, ‘ kiyo murmurs, arms crossed over his chest again. rantaro and kaede exchanged a brief uncomfortable look - it felt like they were eavesdropping, almost. which was ridiculous - kiyo’s sister had addressed them first, right? then why did it feel as though they were walking in on something private? he turns back to the two of them, adjusting the brim of his hat. ‘ as a temporary measure, i take no issue in anchoring you two as well. ‘

 

‘ does that mean we’d . . . possess you, like - ‘ kaede says, gesturing weakly.

 

‘ no. what sister and i have is . . . more complex than that, ‘ kiyo says, not expanding on what he means. ‘ it just means that if you lost focus or corporeality for any period of time, i would be the point where you would reform, rather than your place of death. however - it would mean, if sister decided to leave my form for a brief period, and i gave you permission, you would have the _capability_ to. ‘ his voice is . . . remarkably calm, describing all of this, as even-toned as when he had been discussing _kagome, kagome_ with kaede.

 

one slim, bandaged finger rises. ‘ which may be for your benefits, if you need a physical form to interact with things . . . or with _people._ ‘ his eyes drew to kaede, and she felt as though he could see through her in more ways than she was comfortable with. ‘ i believe you in particular may want to take advantage of that. ‘

 

‘ what do you . . . ‘ she starts, before deciding it might just be better to leave it be.

 

‘ anyway, rantaro - would you be comfortable sharing a little bit more about yourself, given your current status? ‘ kiyo asks, eyes flashing with curiousity.

 

rantaro considers him for a long, long moment, before shrugging, that same easy-going deflecting look returning to his countenance. ‘ maybe not. you might be the mastermind, after all. ‘

 

‘ _kehehe._ if i were the mastermind, would i really allow myself to be so unnerving? ‘ kiyo asks, unbothered by the accusation. ‘ as i am, i naturally draw suspicion. a mastermind, if they so exist, would not take that risk. ‘ he raises one finger, in his contemplative expression. ‘ i did have my theories. ‘

 

‘ who? ‘ kaede asks, looking at him. his eyes are inscrutable as he takes her in for a long moment.

 

‘ . . . initially, you were one of my suspects, ‘ he admits. he perches in one of the library chairs, thin legs crossed, as he continues speaking. ‘ rantaro, kokichi, angie, maki and i are all too immediately suspicious. tenko, kaito, and gonta . . . i doubt it’s them. i have observed humans for a long time, and their naivete is genuine. ryoma’s complete lack of will to live means i think i can rule him out, as well. he would have been killed, had we chosen to accept his sacrifice. the mastermind wouldn’t take such a risk. ‘

 

he spreads his hands a little demonstratively. ‘ only a few suspects remain, and there are reasons to suspect each. ‘ he begins to tick off the suspects on his fingers. ‘ you - with your position as leader, it would be easy for you to manipulate the group as you wanted. however, since you’re dead, i believe i can safely rule you off the list. himiko - her apathy could be feigned. she is a liar by nature. keebo i believe could be _with_ the mastermind, but, in a similar way to kokichi and i, would be too obvious of a suspect. kirumi has already put herself into a position where we are all almost . . . _reliant_ on her. we trust her. miu is - she manages to be crude enough that she wouldn’t be an initial suspect. however, she spends much time alone because of her demeanor, and her title means she _has_ to be more intelligent than she acts. shuichi . . . admittedly is less of a suspect than some of the rest, but if your trial _was_ incorrect, rantaro, him being the mastermind could be an easy explanation for how the wrong conclusion was voted correct. and tsumugi - she is plain, yes, but almost . . . _too_ much so. as though that’s the effect she’s going for. ‘

 

‘ huh. that makes sense, ‘ kaede has to admit. ‘ oh - the two of us found another passageway to the secret room. through the girls’ bathroom. ‘

 

kiyo nods, taking that in stride. ‘ so it couldn’t be shuichi or keebo. they wouldn’t want to put themselves in a position where even being seen walking into that room would put them under scrutiny. this leaves . . . himiko, kirumi, miu, and tsumugi as possibilities. ‘ it seems as though he’s smiling, under his mask. ‘ though, given that they had to hit you with a shotput, rantaro, perhaps himiko’s height disqualifies her as well. ‘

 

both kaede and rantaro snort at that. the mental image is admittedly a little funny, if dark.

 

‘ perhaps, ‘ kiyo muses, ‘ given the much shorter list of suspects, we could each follow one of them. ‘ he raises a finger. ‘ i will _not_ follow himiko. tenko is already suspicious of me, and i do have _some_ value for my own life. ‘

 

‘ so . . . should we prioritize the other three? ‘ rantaro asks. ‘ i’ll take tsumugi. ‘

 

‘ kirumi will be the least likely to question my actions for spending time around her, ‘ kiyo says. the corners of his eyes turning up makes it appear as though he’s smiling, looking at kaede. ‘ . . . my condolences. ‘

 

‘ can’t i follow himiko instead? ‘ kaede asks, a little desperately. ‘ there are some things miu does that i’d rather not see. ‘

 

‘ sorry, kaede, ‘ rantaro says, with a smile that looks entirely unsympathetic as he rests a hand on her shoulder. ‘ hey, though - you said you wanted to be friends with all of us, right? doesn’t that include miu? ‘ kaede glares at him half-heartedly.

 

‘ you’re . . . taking this very much in stride, ‘ rantaro says to kiyo, tipping his head to the side.

 

‘ why shouldn’t i? i have always believed in communication with the dead, and given the circumstances, i am just as eager to escape as anyone, even if i would have been among your last initial choices for ally, ‘ kiyo reasons. kaede weakly tries to start to deny it, and he raises a finger. ‘ i take no offense to it. ‘

 

‘ yeah, but - ‘ kaede starts, before kiyo turns around suddenly. ‘ what? do you - ‘

 

and shuichi steps in, brow drawn together. ‘ kiyo? are you in here? ‘

 

kiyo stands from the chair, stepping around the shelves. ‘ ah, shuichi. yes. i was simply in here to see if there was any remainder of rantaro’s death, ‘ he lies smoothly. ‘ it’s . . . as if nothing ever happened here. ‘

 

shuichi looks troubled, but he still nods, slowly. ‘ we found a . . . monokuma called it a flashback light. everyone’s meeting up in the dining hall before we use it. ‘

 

‘ thank you for coming to get me, ‘ kiyo says, beginning to follow shuichi back through the halls. rantaro and kaede follow a few steps behind them, looking blankly at each other at the idea of a flashback light.

 

‘ i think . . . i think i’ve heard that before, ‘ rantaro says, slowly. ‘ i can’t be sure, though. ‘

 

kiyo brushes a lock of hair behind one ear, turning his head in what would appear to be an idle motion, and murmurs ‘ trust him? ‘ with a very slight incline of his head in shuichi’s direction.

 

‘ did you say something? ‘ shuichi says.

 

kiyo blinks. ‘ no, ‘ he says. ‘ simply . . . thinking. ‘

 

‘ oh, ‘ shuichi says, frowning just a little, but doesn’t push it.

 

rantaro and kaede look at each other, and . . . though shuichi won’t be able to feel it, kaede shifts to walk in stride with him, resting a hand on his shoulder. ‘ i believe in you, ‘ she says quietly. ‘ please - keep the group together. ‘

 

it’s kiyo who speaks, surprisingly - his hand drifts through hers to rest on shuichi’s shoulder, the detective startling at the motion. ‘ i would like to say, ‘ kiyo says, in his raspy sort of voice, but with an underlying note of . . . was that compassion, almost? ‘ thank you, for your work in the trial. and . . . i believe, were kaede still with us, she would say that she believes in you to keep the group together. i have faith in you as well. ‘

 

shuichi looks up at the anthropologist with abject confusion for long moment, his jaw working and brow drawn together. his eyes are red, with the remnants of tears he must have shed. eventually, he speaks. ‘ . . . thank you, kiyo. ‘

 

‘ of course, ‘ kiyo says, with a bow of his head. mid-action, his eyes lock with kaede’s, and it turns into a very slight nod, before he walks into the dining hall, leaving shuichi, a little puzzled, in the hallway with two ghosts.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mostly rantaro pov this chapter lads

‘ what i don’t understand is - how did youknow about the ultimate hunt? ‘ kiyo murmurs, as if to himself, leaning against the wall outside kirumi’s lab.

 

‘ so you _did_ all remember that, ‘ rantaro said, brows drawing together. ‘ it just . . . looked like a flashlight to me. ‘

 

‘ me too, ‘ kaede admits.

 

‘ mm, ‘ kiyo hums, contemplatively. ‘ i suppose it’s . . . understandable. if it works so that it causes changes in the neural paths within your brain - neither of you have brains or eyes any longer. ‘ hismask is tugged down, and it’s _sister_ whospeaks, red lips twisted up in a bit of a sneer. ‘if you ever did in the first place. ‘ ( the mask returns as soon as it went, kiyo murmuring _please, sister,_ one hand resting over his sternum. )

 

‘ i suppose that makes sense, ‘ kaede admits, deciding spitefully to ignore _sister_ altogether. ‘ so - what did you remember? ‘

 

‘ the ultimate hunt. a witch hunt for talented students, ‘ kiyo says, hand briefly extended. ‘ we were pursued almost to the ends of the earth. all of us chose to erase our memories and thuslyourtalents, in order to escape its reaches. as of yet, we don’t remember _why_ it occurred. my question remains unanswered, though, rantaro - how did you know about it before our memory returned? ‘

 

rantaro shrugged, looking far too casual. he shifts to look at kaede. ‘ i’m going to have to watch tsumugi now - shouldn’t you start monitoring miu? ‘

 

kaede wasn’t dumb. she knew when someone was trying to get rid of her. but . . . she can’t _totally_ blame rantaro, anyway. she may not have _actually_ killed him, but if her trap had worked, she would have. but she is a little hurt that he won’t trust her with this. ‘ right. good luck with tsumugi, rantaro! ‘

 

with that, she sighed, beginning to start searching for the inventor, walking straight through the campus - walls and all - towards her lab, the first place she suspected miu might be. 

 

——————

 

‘ you want to speak with me, ‘ kiyo notes, once kaede’s back disappears through the wall, his arms crossed. his eyes . . . seem curious, under the brim of his hat. though, as ever, his true feelings are hard to read, given his mask. rantaro wonders if that’s the reason he wears it. ‘ what about? ‘

 

rantaro hesitates. ‘ there were some questions you had for me. and . . . i’ll tell you what i can. ‘

 

kiyo tips his head to the side, like he’s _observing_ rantaro. like he sees something fascinating admidst his translucent form. ‘ you’re choosing to trust me. why not kaede? ‘ he tips his hand to the side. ‘ not that i’m saying you should. nor am i admonishing you. i am . . . indifferent. just curious to know your reasoning. about this as everything else. you were, and are . . . something of an enigma. ‘

 

‘ i don’t . . . totally know, to be honest, ‘ rantaro admits, with a nonchalant little shrug. ‘ but i feel like i can trust you. besides - you’re the only way we have to physically interact with anything, or talk to the others. by default, i sort of _have_ to trust you, whether i want to or not, right? ‘

 

‘ a . . . pragmatic view of the situation, ‘ kiyo says, nodding. ‘ so . . . to begin with - how do you know the things you know? ‘

 

rantaro sighs, sitting in a windowsill - part of his back and shoulderblades goes through the glass. kiyo decides not to point that out. ‘ well, that is the question, isn’t it? ‘ his expression, his usual slight smile, is deeply bitter for a moment. ‘ my talent - i never _remembered_ it, per se. but i know what it is. ‘

 

‘ oh? ‘

 

‘ the ultimate survivor. ‘

 

kiyo blinks at him once, slow and lazy and nearly catlike, before raising one finger. ‘ . . . i’m sure you’ve already thought about the irony in that, so i will . . . abstain from commenting on it too much. ‘

 

‘ thanks, ‘ rantaro says dryly, crossing his arms. ‘ that’s - it’s what my monopad told me. there was . . . a message from my past self. ‘ he shrugs. ‘ apparently . . . this isn’t the first killing game i’ve been through. i was one of the final survivors. hence the title, even if it’s, ‘ he gestures slightly at himself, ‘ no longer relevant. by winning the game . . . it means i got something. called the _survivor’s perk._ ‘

 

‘ what did that involve? ‘ kiyo asks, from where he’s leaning against the wall, before a beat, and he pulls out a notebook from the inside of his jacket, along with a pen, scribbling something down.

 

‘ is that really smart? ‘ rantaro asks, eying the notebook. ‘ someone else could read that, you know. ‘

 

kiyo raises an eyebrow and turns the book to face him, holding the page open demonstratively. ‘ you’re welcome to try. as are the hypothetical they. ‘ rantaro eyes the journal, kiyo flipping through a few pages of it for him.

 

it’s completely unintelligible. there are a few words he can make out on one page - he _does_ speak a little afrikaans - but other than that, he doesn’t understand any of the words or symbols kiyo has written out. kiyo seems satisfied by that, looking at his expression and pulling the book back towards himself, pen poised above the paper. ‘ that’s pretty impressive, ‘ rantaro admits.

 

kiyo tips his head in acknowledgement to the compliment. ‘ as an anthropologist, it is important that i also be a polyglot. ‘ his thin bandaged fingers trace over the lines of the notebook. ‘ which includes many dead languages, or codes, or forms of shorthand. i switch between languages frequently in my journaling - it makes it far less likely that someone will be able to re- ‘ he suddenly, sharply, falls silent, looking back down at his pages, his pen moving.

 

rantaro is about to ask why, when the door to kirumi’s lab opens, and she steps out with a basket of laundry - kokichi’s, by the looks of it. she nods to kiyo in greeting, and walks by, kiyo seemingly too engrossed in his work to even notice her.

 

once she’s rounded the corner, kiyo looks back up. ‘ anyway. as i was saying - it makes it less likely that someone will be able to read anything more than a few snippets. your survivor’s perk . . .? ‘

 

‘ included my monopad, which was different from each of yours, and a video to myself - from before the game began. i . . . don’t remember making it. ‘ he says, looking . . . troubled.

 

‘ what was on your monopad that made it different from ours? ‘ kiyo asks, looking up at him.

 

‘ a complete - or, what i _thought_ was a complete map of the campus. including the labs and rooms that hadn’t been “reconstructed” yet. and the secret room next to the library, the door there. it . . . didn’t include the bathroom passageway, though, ‘ he says, a little regretfully. ‘ and that . . . might have made all the difference. ‘

 

‘ or it might not have, ‘ kiyo states, voice level as his pen stops. ‘ rantaro - there is no such thing as an easily accepted death. even your own. it is . . . very _human_ to constantly think about the possibilities of what may have been. but you must let those thoughts pass by. there is . . . no changing the past. ‘ for a moment, he almost looks . . . melancholy, the shadow of his hat cloaking his eyes, and one hand resting gently on the other forearm.

 

interesting.

 

‘ something you learned from experience? ‘ rantaro asks, gently.

 

kiyo shrugs, impassive. ‘ yes. it was . . . a hard-won lesson. but that isn’t important, now. was there anything else? ‘

 

‘ right, ‘ rantaro says, trying to regain his train of thought - if kiyo didn’t want to talk about it, he wouldn’t force him. but all he could think of was the sister-figure. _haunting_ was really the right word for her. something about her sent unease running down where rantaro’s spine had once been. ‘ there was also a letter to myself. it said - ‘ he rubbed the back of his head. ‘ you know what? for the monopad . . . it might just be easier to get it at some point, especially if you’re already thinking of exploring the bathroom passage. ‘

 

‘ i am . . . considering it, ‘ kiyo says, end of his pen briefly tapping against the zipper over his mouth. ‘ however, i will not make any attempt at it until i have another _living_ ally to join me. ‘

 

‘ hm? why’s that? ‘

 

kiyo seems to smile, wry amusement visible in the shifting of the muscles around his eyes. ‘ consider your own fate. you were getting too close to what the mastermind didn’t wish for us to see. however, since you decided to attempt on your own, they were able to . . . dispose of you as a problem. i would rather my skull remain intact. or - if i _were_ to be killed, having someone else with me would at least let them pass on the information we learned before my unfortunate demise. ‘ he says _unfortunate,_ but the look of mirth never passes from his fate. ‘ no offense, if the topic is a sensitive one. ‘

 

‘ no, you’ve . . . got a point, ‘ rantaro admits. ‘ we’d prefer you didn’t die, either. ‘

 

‘ because i am your only link to the outside. ‘

 

‘ not . . . _just_ that, ‘ the ex-survivor says, considering kiyo evenly. ‘ we might not have known each other for very long, but you’re our friend as well, you know? ‘

 

for once, the anthropologist seems briefly at a loss for words, hand resting over where his mouth would be. ‘ friends? i suppose that is . . . hm. ‘ he looks almost perplexed by that. ‘ i see. i must say - i expected that kind of sentiment to come from kaede, not you. ‘

 

‘ maybe she’s rubbed off on me, ‘ rantaro says cheerfully. ‘ anyway. the video to myself - i’ll try and remember what it said. ‘

 

‘ would it help you to write it? ‘ kiyo asks, expression inscrutable.

 

‘ yes, ‘ rantaro says, slowly, ‘ but we can’t interact with physical objects? ‘

 

‘ you can’t, ‘ kiyo says, ‘ but i can. and i mentioned before that you could use me as an anchor. and, if the situation does call for it - host. ‘

 

‘ ah. ‘ he was taken aback by that for a second. it was such a foreign concept to him. and . . . the fact that kiyo talked about it so conversationally, too. like it was just an average occurence to offer to let the dead possess him. well,rantaro thought, with a soft snort, for _him_ , it might be. ‘ are you . . . sure? ‘

 

‘ i am, ‘ kiyo says, voice level. ‘ simply give me a moment to . . . prepare. ‘ his arms wrap around himself. ‘ sister . . . you must leave, just for a short time. ‘ the silver aura around kiyo suddenly dissipates. rantaro thinks for a moment that kiyo looks almost _hollow,_ with her gone. suddenly, his sharp edges just make him look a little on the side of too-skinny. the dark circles under his eyes look a lot less otherworldly and much more tired.

 

it’s an impression he only gets for a second.

 

kiyo is pulling something out of his pocket - a pin? knife? it’s an odd shape, one that rantaro can’t quite decipher - and unwrapping the bandages just enough so his fingertips peek through. and then he pulls down the mask.

 

huh.

 

he’s . . . really pretty.

 

there’s no red lipstick across his mouth, now, but his face is sharp and angular, giving him an almost sort of . . . ethereal beauty. rantaro blinks to realize kiyo is talking to him - he’d been staring at his face too intently to notice kiyo taking the next steps of the ritual.

 

‘ my mask is . . . it’s a long story. however, just know that i am the one in control when it is up, and it is . . . one of the things that keeps it that way. now - can you turn so your back is to me? i need to reach your head. ‘

 

‘ you need to - hm? ‘ rantaro says, eloquently.

 

‘ the wound, specifically, ‘ kiyo elaborates, voice sounding helpful, as though that made it make any more sense. rantaro decides it may be best to just . . . not question it, and does as he’s told, shivering as he feels kiyo’s fingers touch the back of his head - and there’s a sudden jolt of pain, as though he’s feeling the moment of impact all over again.

 

‘ what was that?! ‘ rantaro asks, turning around to look at kiyo, who looks - genuinely apologetic, at least. his fingertips are bloody - his own blood, and like a shimmering afterimage over it, rantaro’s as well.

 

‘ my apologies. if it is any consolation, i will experience it as well, ‘ he says. rantaro’s just about to ask how on _earth_ that could be consoling when kiyo tugs off his hat with his unbloodied hand and presses his bloody fingers to the back of his head, doubling over suddenly.

 

‘ kiyo! are you alright? ‘ rantaro bursts out, trying to rest a hand on his shoulder, and being . . . almost surprised when he _could,_ kiyo still bent over, breath shaky.

 

‘ i . . . will be, ‘ he says, eventually, full body shuddering as he clutches onto his arms. ‘ it is done. ‘ slowly, with shaking hands, he wraps his bandages again, and painstakingly pulls out his journal, flipping to an empty page. ‘ to . . . to take my place, so to speak, just - focus on me. imagine yourself quite literally in my shoes. ‘

 

rantaro feels . . . deeply foolish, closing his eyes and trying to focus on what it would like to be kiyo. a slightly higher vantage point, the thick fabric covering all of him, the long hair against his back. the anthropologist’s smooth voice, the bandages on his arms, the mask now around his throat.

 

when he opens his eyes again, he’s looking down at a blank journal page.

 

‘ this is . . . surreal, ‘ he says quietly, flexing fingers too thin to be his own, experimentally. the voice that comes out is his voice, but . . . not. like his voice, but with kiyo’s lilting tones interspersed.

 

_indeed._

 

it’s kiyo’s . . . voice? thoughts? from someplace near the back of his head, with a low hum of amusement.

 

_please record the video message?_

 

he does so, fumbling for the pen for a second. jesus, though, it feels like kiyo is starving. maybe he can pry at that later. for now he just writes.

 

_[ hey there. guess i don’t have to introduce myself, huh? ]_

_[ i get that this is probably pretty confusing, seeing . . . yourself, like this. ]_

_[ guess i should start from the beginning. ]_

_[ first things first, i . . . am you. no tricks, no actors. it’s_ **_you._ ** _]_

_[ the reason you don’t remember recording this is because that memory was erased. ]_

_[ think of this video as a message from the rantaro before you lost your memory . . . ]_

_[ . . . to the rantaro after you lost your memory. ]_

_[ so, let’s get to it, then. the reason i recorded this footage. ]_

_[ i won the right to a special perk for participating in the killing game. ]_

_[ part of that perk is this video message. ]_

_[ monokuma said he was gonna make some kind of puzzle for you . . . ]_

_[ . . . but the fact that you’re watching this means that you’ve solved it already. ]_

_[ also, you can’t share this with anyone. ]_

_[ if you catch monokuma shooing anyone away from you, that’s why. ]_

_[ there’s another part to this perk, something you get at the start of the game. ]_

_[ i bet you know what i’m talking about. something you’ve had from the start, yeah? ]_

_[ now, i_ thought _that if you were smart, you’d have used it to end the killing game. ]_

_[ but if you’re watching this, that obviously didn’t work out. ]_

_[ life’s never easy, huh? ]_

_[ well, anyway, that’s the perk. other than that, you’re just like all the others. ]_

_[ you go in, they wipe your memories, and you start killing. ]_

_[ that’s the way it is. ]_

_[ now, monokuma probably already told you this, but just in case . . . ]_

_[ this killing game will continue until there are only two people left. ]_

_[ now the important part of that rule is that - ]_

**_[ALARMS SOUNDING]_ **

_[ haha . . . looks like they didn’t want me saying that, huh? ]_

_[ guess you’ll have to solve that little mystery. but hey, you’re smart. i know you can do it. ]_

_[ . . . oh. there is . . . one more thing. ]_

_[ well, the truth is . . . this isn’t your first killing game. ]_

_[ you’re the_ **_ultimate survivor._ ** _you survived the_ **_last killing game._ ** _]_

_[ that’s why you get this perk - the_ **_survivor perk._ ** _]_

_[ but it’s not all fun and games. ]_

_[ anyone who finds out who you are is gonna come for you . . . ]_

_[ so watch your back. trust no one. ]_

_[ and never forget . . . ]_

_[ you wanted this killing game, so you have to win no matter what. ]_

_[ . . . no matter what. ]_

 

that was . . . how it had ended, right? the last that had been said.

 

he remembered the other rantaro’s eyes. they looked hollow. almost . . . defeatist. so much about him had just seemed _resigned._ to whatever this fate was, and the reason they’d wound up here.

 

 _. . . well,_ kiyo says, from somewhere in the back of their head, _that would certainly be paranoia inducing. would you pull up my mask, now?_

 

‘ oh. of course, ‘ he says, and fumbles with it for a moment before being able to pull it up, snagging his - kiyo’s? - lower lip on the zipper for a second as he does. once it’s pulled over his/kiyo’s nose, there’s just a slight rushing feeling, and he’s standing in front of kiyo again, rather than _as_ him.

 

‘ that was . . . certainly enlightening, ‘ kiyo says, reading the transcript again. ‘ however - it implies this was something you weren’t supposed to see until later in the game. how did you watch this video before then? ‘

 

‘ complete luck, ‘ rantaro says honestly. ‘ two parts to the survivor perk, right? the monopad and that video - on a usb port in a laptop. the monopad was supposed to be in my room, and the computer in my lab. but the monokubs mixed it up and gave me the video. i watched it over and over again - wrote it down a few times in my room, too, like i could make more sense of it like that. they found out eventually, and switched them again, but i’d seen it already by that point. ‘

 

‘ interesting, ‘ kiyo says, with a slight nod. ‘ that . . . may have been part of why the mastermind sought to get rid of you. though the question does remain, though - why would they kill you rather than just wipe your memories? we’ve seen at this point that that is well within their power. ‘

 

‘ i don’t know, ‘ rantaro says, shrugging. ‘ all i know is . . . the things i told you about. ‘

 

‘ and the ultimate hunt . . . ? ‘

 

‘ oh. i didn’t . . . actually remember that. part of the note on my monopad was a . . . disclaimer, almost. saying that if i didn’t believe them, one of the first things we’d remember was the ultimate hunt - like that should prove it wasn’t all a lie. ‘

 

‘ interesting, ‘ kiyo murmurs, almost to himself. ‘ we’ll . . . have to try and recover your monopad, ‘ he says with a nod. ‘ it seems as though it contains some crucial evidence. but - as i said, i would prefer to have someone with me when we head through the passage. ‘

 

‘ any ideas for who? i think kaede seems pretty set on shuichi, ‘ rantaro says, though it may be pointing out the obvious. kiyo - hm. interesting. kiyo avoids his gaze, looking down the hallway instead, seemingly composing himself for a moment.

 

‘ she is, ‘ he says, slowly, ‘ and i don’t doubt his detective skills. but i’m . . . considering someone else. ‘

 

‘ who? ‘ rantaro asks, leaning against the wall with a raised eyebrow. ( _don’t think about how you can lean on this without going through_ , he reminds himself forcibly, _just don’t think about it none of this needs to make sense_ )

 

kiyo clears his throat for a second. ‘ . . . kokichi. ‘


	4. Chapter 4

‘ kokichi? ‘ rantaro asks, blinking at kiyo as though he had said something almost incomprehensible. kiyo supposes that perspective might make sense, from an outsider’s point of view. kokichi _had_ done his best to appear abrasive and immature at best, and downright malicious at worst. however, he _knew_ people.

 

kokichi was intelligent. maybe not in a book-smart kind of way, but he was incredibly sharp. kiyo knew people, and so did kokichi, albeit in a different way. liars by profession are oft some of the best at searching for the truth, paranoid that everyone else is just as much of a liar as they are. ( lying is a way of maintaining control, isn’t it? if he has all the information with him, he can control how much he knows, and how much he lets other people know. )

 

‘ kokichi, ‘ he affirms. ‘ albeit i’m sure it wasn’t the choice you were expecting me to make, yes? but i do have my reasoning for wanting him as our initial ally over shuichi. ‘

 

‘ i’m not saying no one way or another, ‘ rantaro says, still leaning against the wall - and the curiousity in his eyes seems genuine. kiyo is glad for the fact that rantaro had gotten kaede to leave previously; it gave him the opportunity to approach a less traditional route than the one she might prefer. ‘ i just want to know your reasoning, kiyo - you’ll be the one able to actually carry out the conversation in the end, after all. ‘

 

kiyo nods, hands spreading slightly. ‘ both of them are remarkably intelligent, and i don’t mean this as a slight against shuichi’s detective skills. however . . . shuichi is cautious. i don’t believe he trusts me. and if we speak to him, the chances are that he’ll tell those in the group he considers his friends. he isn’t . . . entirely self reliant, yet. besides that, he’s a detective. your existence, and kaede’s, isn’t something i can entirely substantiate, and he’ll likely just think i’m delusional. additionally . . . we haven’t _entirely_ ruled him out as a possibility for the mastermind, just yet. ‘

 

‘ fair enough, ‘ rantaro says, nodding slowly. ‘ so that’s why not shuichi. why kokichi, then? ‘

 

‘ kokichi is paranoid, ‘ kiyo says, tipping one finger, ‘ but he is equally so. he trusts no one in this group. which means he’s unlikely to share this with anyone. and . . . despite his act, i believe he actually wants to end this game. additionally . . . i believe he is a skeptic, but in the same way that he is paranoid. he’s not one to rule out any possibility. and there’s a good chance he’s come to some of the same conclusions as to who the mastermind is as i have, or he’ll be able to follow the same logic. if i can offer him some proof of your identity, at least, as the ultimate survivor, he may be willing to join us. ‘ one corner of his mouth twitches upwards. ‘ additionally . . . he seems like the type who wants to know as much as possible. what does he have to lose, by investigating a possible secret passage? ‘

 

‘ huh, ‘ rantaro says. ‘ you’ve . . . thought about this a bit, haven’t you? ‘

 

‘ yes - and no. not . . . this, necessarily, but i have observed all of you in-depth as much as possible. it gives me a better idea of how the group mechanic works, and who would be suitable for which role. ‘

 

‘ what about me? ‘ rantaro can’t help but ask, crossing his arms and tipping up one pale green eyebrow, almost in a challenging way. ‘ what did you . . . deduce, i mean? ‘

 

‘ that your skull is susceptible to concavity, ‘ kiyo says in a bland voice, eyes flickering with a dark sort of humor as they meet with rantaro’s.

 

‘ funny. i’m serious, though - well. curious, i suppose. ‘ his hands rest on his hips. ‘ i’m having some issues pinning down who i am, so . . . an outsider’s perspective might help me define myself a little better, y’know? ‘

 

kiyo nods, slowly. his eyes feel almost _piercing_ as he looks at rantaro.

 

‘ you’re a protector by nature, ‘ he starts, one hand resting on the opposite shoulder, ‘ but one that’s failed in the past. you thusly blame yourself for past failures and also take it upon yourself as a responsibility to keep others safe. in much the same way, you . . . in some part believe in ignorance as bliss. that if you keep incriminating knowledge to yourself, others won’t have to shoulder the weight or be hurt by the fallout. ‘

 

he settles back against the wall, eyes getting a more far-off look as his head tips back to rest as well, one hand rising in a gesture that’s almost absent. ‘ you _want_ to trust people, though. you act very easygoing, but i’ve hypothesized that it either _is_ only an act, or something you’ve practiced meticulously over time. you tend to define yourself in terms of other people - you investigated for the sake of the group, you referred to yourself as my and kaede’s friend, you spoke about your sisters previously. ‘

 

he snorts softly through his nose. ‘ additionally - much less deep, but you’re likely the one most confident in their masculinity here. kaito, for an example - feels as though he needs to repress everything, and does everything in terms of how manly it is. i theorized you might not be cis or straight, but perhaps that’s just assumption. however, my initial guesses on those are also jotted down in my observations, for posterity. ‘

 

‘ no, no, you’re totally right, ‘ rantaro says with a casual smile and a wave of one hand. ‘ i got top surgury about a year back, and as far as i know, i’m only into other boys. what about you? ‘

 

‘ kehehe. quite the one-eighty in conversation topics, wouldn’t you say? ‘

 

‘ hey, if we’re friends, maybe a normal conversation somewhere in all of this . . . ‘ he gestures around them, a vague hand wave to say more or less _our entire situation._ ‘ you know. ‘

 

‘ i’m not sure i’ve ever had a normal conversation before, ‘ kiyo muses, in a tone of voice that rantaro almost mistakes for entirely serious for a moment. ‘ i jest, ‘ he clarifies, seeing the wrinkle forming in rantaro’s forehead. ‘ i sometimes . . . enjoy the effect i have on people. if i’m going to unnerve with anything i do, i may as well do it intentionally. ‘

 

‘ i . . . suppose that makes sense, ‘ rantaro says, but he finds something about it . . . sad, almost.

 

‘ anyway. in order to answer your question, ‘ kiyo says, resting one bandaged hand on the side of his face. ‘ i don’t particularly have a preference when it comes to my own gender. i don’t ascribe myself to any, i suppose is one way of phrasing it. however, given that _sister_ and i share this body, i use masculine pronouns and presentation to make it easier to distinguish between the two of us. as for attraction . . . i don’t really have a preference there, either. ‘ his eyelashes flutter shut against the sharp lines of his cheeks, and he embraces himself.

 

‘ i am already dedicated to someone, after all. she and i were meant to be together. my lover . . . ‘ he trails off, seemingly lost in thought for a moment, fingers tightening in the sleeves of his uniform.

 

‘ oh? ‘ rantaro asks, politely. ‘ who is she? ‘

 

‘ _kehehe_ , ‘ kiyo chuckles, under his breath. not for the first time, rantaro wonders how his voice comes so clearly from underneath the mask. ‘ you have . . . already met her, in a way. ‘

 

‘ i have? ‘ rantaro asks, slow confusion rolling in his gut. some part of his instinct is . . . unnerved by this. it’s not just kiyo throwing him off, either. there’s just something that rings a little bit wrong in his words. ‘ is she one of the girls in here, then? ‘

 

‘ in a way, ‘ kiyo says, inclining his head. ‘ anyway. i believe it would be best not to make a choice on who to talk to until we’ve at least _informed_ kaede. she may not be pleased with it, but i think it’s the best courst of action. now - i’m going to return to the task of tailing kirumi. i wish you luck watching tsumugi. ‘ and with that, he pushes off the wall, walking gracefully off down one of the halls before rantaro has the chance to ask what the hell he means by _in a way._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we'll return to kaede soon enough! i just love these two talking, honestly. next chapter will be The Kokichi Conversation


	5. Chapter 5

‘ i still think we should ask shuichi, ‘ kaede says, staunchly crossing her arms as she gives kiyo a bit of a stink-eye, the three of them ( four? four if you counted sister ) all sitting on kiyo’s bed to confer about what they had seen today, and what the plan was going forwards. kaede, as had been predicted, was not too happy about the prospect of working with kokichi. to be fair, kiyo said he wasn’t exactly hyped about it as well, but it was a choice that made sense practically, to him.

 

‘ i am aware, ‘ kiyo says dryly.

 

‘ anyway - aren’t you going to take off your mask and bandages and so on to sleep? ‘ she asks, watching him carefully take off his jacket and fold it over the back of one of his chairs, tugging off his boots and setting them by his bed, hat resting on the nightstand.

 

‘ yes . . . and no, ‘ he says, undoing some of the bits and bobs on his uniform, gently setting them aside as well. ‘ i’m going to shower, change my bandages where needed, and change into my mask for sleeping. ‘

 

‘ you have . . . a mask for sleeping? ‘ kaede says, blinking at him - his only reply is an amused look, heading into the bathroom. soon afterwards, the sound of running water begins to be heard.

 

‘ you know, ‘ she said to rantaro, after they both watched him leave, ‘ i expected his room to be . . . a lot weirder, honestly. ‘ it was a tidy place, with books arranged in neat rows on the bookshelf kaede had been using to hold the monokuma plushies, including one shelf dedicated entirely to journals. there were a few charms hanging around his doorway, and a few other decoratons hung over the desk.

 

‘ i . . . won’t disagree with you, ‘ rantaro says cheerfully. ‘ i’m glad we’ve got some link to everyone else, though. maybe he can get into our rooms and get the things we left in there. ‘

 

‘ i _would_ like that, ‘ kaede said slowly, ‘ but i’m not sure what the point might be? we can’t interact with objects, you know. ‘

 

rantaro sighed. ‘ i guess that’s true. still - might be handy to have all the monocoins i picked up. or the survival knife in my room. ‘

 

‘ i wish i got to spend more time in my lab, ‘ kaede laments. ‘ i only got to spend around one night in there. such a good piano, and i only got to play one thing on it . . . ‘

 

‘ well, i don’t even know what my lab _looks_ like, ‘ rantaro says wryly. ‘ i’m not sure what it could be, either. what kind of room would the ultimate survivor have? ‘

 

‘ maybe it’s full of monokuma merch, ‘ kaede suggests, and rantaro shudders with an exaggerated disgust.

 

‘ ugh. no thank you. maybe it was a mercy killing, then. ‘

 

‘ rantaro, ‘ kaede says, frowning, a little uneasy, ‘ that’s not funny! ‘

 

‘ i guess it’s not, huh? ‘ he replies, voice even, easy. but there’s something unreadable there in his eyes as he idly turns his head. ‘ hold on. i have an idea. ‘ he gets up from the bed in a fluid motion, walking over to the bathroom section of the room and straight through the wall. kaede can hear kiyo’s voice in response to that - sudden, a harsh toned thing. she thinks rantaro may have taken him by surprise.

 

she isn’t the type to eavesdrop, she tries to convince herself, lying back on the bed, but she does try to listen to the muffled sound of their voices, the sharp bite of kiyo’s words, and rantaro’s much calmer responses.

 

after a few moments, rantaro re-emerges from the wall. there’s something troubled in his expression, just for a second, as he leaves, but he catches kaede’s eyes and it instantly disappears, coming to lounge on the bed beside her.

 

‘ what was that all about? ‘ she asks him quizzically.

 

he shrugs, expression infuriatingly enigmatic again as he gives her a little smile. ‘ you’ll see. ‘

 

she huffs out at him, pushing his shoulder, and he collapses dramatically back onto the bed, faceplanting quite literally _into_ one of the pillows. ‘ a body has been discovered, ‘ he says, voice muffled, still face-down.

 

‘ you’re the worst, ‘ she tells him, trying to hide her snickers behind her hand and kicking him gently in the thigh.

 

‘ a class trial will something-something-something, ‘ he says, voice still muffled.

 

‘ stop, ‘ kaede groans, back flopping back onto kiyo’s bed. it was certainly easy to believe, now, that rantaro had been an older brother. ‘ at least _you_ didn’t have to deal with the class trial _. ‘_

 

 _‘_ no, ‘ he agrees, turning over onto his stomach to look at her, chin propped up on his hands. ‘ but if it’s any consolation, i apparently had to do it before, you know. ‘

 

‘ you don’t get to say that if you don’t remember it, ‘ she says primly, sticking her nose up with a feigned indignance.

 

he sticks out his tongue at her. ( it turns out that’s pierced, as well. ) ‘ well, who died and put you in charge of class trial technicalities? ‘

 

‘ you, ‘ she replies, with an innocent grin.

 

‘ ouch, ‘ he says, but the flash of his teeth shows that he doesn’t really mean it. ‘ suppose i had that one coming, huh? ‘

 

‘ not that i’m sure what you’re referring to, but i’m sure you did, ‘ a dry voice pitches in, kiyo brushing his fingers through his long hair, cast over one shoulder, long and elegant. kaede could see no difference in his masks, despite his claim that there was one for sleeping and bathing specifically. she’d think he was joking, but he didn’t quite seem the type.

 

‘ kaede, ‘ he says, perching on the end of his own bed, ‘ it’s not quite nighttime, yet - would you be opposed to going out, or would you want to go to sleep now? ‘

 

‘ what do you mean? ‘ she asks, taken a little by surprised by the offer.

 

‘ well, ‘ he says, interlacing his fingers, bandages a fresh white, assumedly from when he had rebound them, ‘ rantaro has gotten the chance to adjust to what using a host is like, but you haven’t had the chance. and, as well . . . i haven’t actually had the chance to hear you play. i did wish to, before . . . well. everything that happened. ‘

 

‘ i remember you saying that, yeah, ‘ kaede says brightly.‘that music has always been an important part of anthropology, and you wanted to hear how i played. ‘

 

‘ why not now? ‘ he asks, standing, and extends a hand to her, oddly formal, as though to escort her to a dance or something. she takes it, slowly, beginning to stand.

 

‘ so i’ll be . . . using your hands? ‘ she asks, for confirmation, as they begin to head out of his room.

 

‘ yes. i understand in terms of muscle memory, it may not be ideal, but i do have a basic level of skill. ‘

 

‘ you . . . know a lot of things, huh, kiyo? ‘ she asks, voice mildly impressed.

 

‘ _kehehe._ yes. it . . . ‘ he reaches for his pendant on the chain around his neck, having taken the time to put it on even over his plain white shirt he wears now. ‘ i learn quickly, and i dedicate all my time to my studies. humanity is beautiful, and i want to know, as much of it as i can. ‘

 

‘ you’ve mentioned finding friends for your sister before. what about your own friends? do you have a lot of them around the world, with all the travelling you do? ‘

 

‘ i don’t have friends, ‘ he says, and it doesn’t sound as though he’s looking for attention or being angsty; just stating a matter of fact. ‘ my sister and my work is enough for me. ‘

 

‘ that sounds . . . kind of lonely. ‘

 

she doesn’t get a reply from him, and for a moment, she worries she’s offended him somehow, when they cross paths with maki, kiyo murmuring a _good evening_ to her with a gesture as though he’s reaching for the brim of his hat. she sweeps by, not acknowledging him.

 

just _being_ in the same room as the grand piano fills her with a sense of ease, and she runs in, tracing her fingers over the keys as though they _wouldn’t_ just go through. kiyo glides in after her, almost shutting the door all the way, but leaving it a crack open, fingers gently drifting off the handle. ‘ do you need music? ‘

 

‘ no, i can just play one of the ones i know, ‘ she says. she’s memorized her fair share of different songs she played, practiced enough times that her fingers reached for the keys without having to think for it.

 

he nods once at that, taking his place - her place? on the bench. ‘ i will tell you the same as i told rantaro - simply imagine yourself in my place, yes? whether it helps you more to focus on the piano or on me, do what you will. ‘

 

she nods. ‘ can you - set your fingers down on the basic starting hand position for me? ‘ he does, with a nod, brushing his hair behind his ears, and she closes her eyes, setting her own hands out in front of her and imagining the familiar feeling of anticipation, fingertips brushing against ivory. then opens them, and looks down to see a comforting world. it’s . . . different, with kiyo’s fingers bandaged as they are. he has bigger hands than hers, thinner fingers.

 

hm. wait a second.

 

‘ kiyo, ‘ she starts, slowly, cupping his - her? their? - chest briefly. ‘ did you just - ‘

 

 _there is a reason,_ his voice states wryly in the back of her mind, _that spirit mediums are optimally the same gender as the spirit they’re hosting. physical changes can occur. after years of playing host to my sister, i have become used to it._

 

‘ ah, ‘ she says, because what do you say to that?

 

slowly, she begins to play, winding her way through songs, bleeding one into the next. kiyo is silent in the back of their head, but she can sense a rising sort of admiration. _beautiful,_ he says simply, in a beat of rest between notes. _the amount of time you’ve dedicated to your craft, and the emotion you put into it . . ._

 

and then her hands are off again, because she doesn’t know the next time she’ll be able to play, and if nothing else, dying certainly gave you a deep pool of emotion to draw from. kiyo’s arms burn against their wrappings, but his fingers are nimble enough that it almost feels like things are _normal_ for a moment. like if she wraps herself up in this sonata or that overture, she’ll be in a practice room again, and not in a prison school with strangers, dead but not dead.

 

 _someone else is watching you,_ kiyo says suddenly. _they can’t see your face yet, but - if you could let my hair down again enugh for it to hide it, i would prefer that._ kaede frowns. why isn’t he alright with people seeing his face? there’s nothing wrong with it as far as she’s seen. still, he’s helping her play again, so she lets his curtain of hair conceal the sides of her face, continuing to play.

 

_do you know who it is, kiyo?_

 

 _i have . . . a guess,_ he admits after a second, and calls to mind an image of shuichi, and her chest aches. her fingers stop, abruptly, and find a new place on the keys. _clair de lune_ rises from the piano, haunting and slow. she had told him that she would play it for him, after all. even if this was . . . by proxy, in a way, even if he didn’t know it was her. it mattered to her that he heard.

 

the song is about five minutes, each note crystal-clear in the air. with it, she tries to convey an apology. with it, she tries to inspire courage, but also . . . the night time announcement sounded, at some point during her playing. she plays a song to to maybe allow him to rest. to calm his nerves, the anxiety she knew was always simmering under his skin.

 

 _i’m sorry, i’m sorry,_ her fingers say, better than she ever could. _keep going. it’s alright to cry. let yourself feel. i’m here. even if you can’t talk to me, i’m here._

 

her fingers finally still, the last note ringing in the air, kiyo’s body unmoving. she doesn’t want to break the moment.

 

‘ i didn’t know you could play the piano, kiyo. ‘ it’s shuichi who finally speaks, voice hushed. there’s a deep sort of melancholy in his voice. kiyo is reaching for control, to reach for his mask again, but kaede says _wait,_ and decides to go with it.

 

‘ he can’t, ‘ she says, softly.

 

‘ . . . what? ‘

 

she brushes kiyo’s hair behind his ears and turns to face him and _hopes_ to all hope that there’s something recognizable that remains of her face, and just - smiles, just a little. ‘ i’m . . . not kiyo. ‘

 

shuichi looks confused, and rightfully so. _are you sure about this?_ kiyo asks, from their shared headspace - doubtful, but not so much that he’s just taken back control. the detective takes one faltering step, then another, into the room, shoulders hunched and eyes wide with confusion. ‘ i don’t . . . i don’t understand, kiyo. ‘

 

‘ did you like the last song? ‘ she decides to ask, instead, looking earnestly at him. ‘ it’s . . . clair de lune. by debussy. ‘

 

his eyes go wide, almost comically. ‘ . . . kiyo? this - i don’t get it. how did you - ‘

 

‘ i’m not kiyo, ‘ she says again, shaking her head. maybe this isn’t going to work after all. but she needs to try.

 

he creeps towards the piano bench, eyes looking over her and a million questions dancing in his eyes. when he speaks, there’s a moment of trepidation, like he can’t believe the words are coming out of his mouth, his eyes guarded. ‘ . . . kaede? ‘

 

‘ hey, shuichi, ‘ she says, softly.

 

 

‘ . . . why are you kiyo? ‘ he asks, blankly.

 

‘ it’s . . . a long story, ‘ she says. ‘ but . . . all that he was talking about, with being able to talk to the dead - it turns out he’s not just kinda creepy. ‘ there’s a pang of . . . _something_ that doesn’t quite come from her. not quite hurt. closer to . . . acceptance, maybe, but still tinged with melancholy. odd.

 

‘ am i dreaming? ‘

 

 _no,_ kaede’s about to say, but kiyo pulls his mask up for a second to say, simply - ‘ if it makes you feel better to think about this as a dream, you are free to. however . . . i have been talking to kaede and rantaro both for a day or so now. i can channel them, as i was, if you want. ‘ and then the mask comes back down, his body shifts back to accommodate her, and shuichi - she can’t help herself. she starts giggling. ( which is a very odd sound, coming out of kiyo’s body. )

 

‘ you - ‘ and she tries to hold back her laughter, because she’s sure this must really be an ordeal for shuichi ‘ - you look like you’ve seen a ghost, ‘ she wheezes out, burying her face in her hands. ‘ g-d, i know i shouldn’t laugh. i’m sorry, shuichi. ‘

 

he’s just silent for a long, long moment. and then he’s flinging his arms around her, kiyo reacting in the back of her head with shock/alarm/confusion. she’s startled by it as well, but she hugs him back, holds him tightly while she can, still. ‘ this is probably a dream, ‘ shuichi says, muffled, ‘ but . . . i’m so sorry, kaede. ‘

 

‘ you’ve got nothing to be sorry for, ‘ she says, just holding him tight. ‘ i - ‘

 

the door slams open, kaito walking in, his voice bold and brash as always. ‘ hey, shuichi! what’s the holdup? i thought you were gonna come meet me outside for traini - ‘

 

it’s almost comical, how abruptly he cuts himself off, seeing the fact that shuichi seems to be clinging onto _kiyo -_ kaede had hurriedly turned her face away from the doorway to do what she could to respect kiyo’s wishes - for dear life. his mouth hangs open for a moment, eyes flicking between the two of them, and kaede could almost _see_ the gears trying to work in his head. ’ i’ll, uh. i’ll give you two a moment? ‘ he manages. awkwardly, he looks to kaede. ‘ uh. hey, kiyo. ‘ without waiting for a response, he steps back out, and the door swings shut behind him.

 

there’s a moment of resounding silence, before both of them suddenly break into laughter, only exacerbated each time they look at each other, until they’re both clutching their stomachs, wheezing, holding onto each other’s shoulders while they try and breathe.

 

‘ if you want to talk to me tomorrow, ‘ kaede says, once they’ve calmed down a little. ‘ i’ll still be here. you just - gotta ask kiyo. ‘

 

‘ i . . . don’t know if i’ll believe this was real, tomorrow, ‘ shuichi admits, voice soft. ‘ but . . . i’ll try. ’

 

‘ that’s good enough, ‘ kaede says with a firm nod. hey, maybe this would work out after all! maybe they wouldn’t _need_ to ask kokichi in the first place! _no, we’re still talking to him,_ kiyo’s voice says in the back of his mind, thrumming with amusement. _that was . . . admittedly why i wanted to head out. i have a theory i want to check._

 

ugh.

 

she reaches for shuichi’s hand, clasping it between hers, even if they are now laden with bandages. ‘ hey, ‘ she says with a little grin, ‘ i think you’d better go meet kaito or he’ll start being suspicious, you know. what kind of training is he talking about, anyway? ‘

 

shuichi rubs the back of his neck with his free hand. ‘ i don’t actually . . . know? he just kind of tugged me along. ‘

 

kaede laughs softly. ‘ well . . . good luck. i’m gonna . . . it’s gonna be kiyo again, ‘ she clarifies, and tugs up the mask, shifting to stand by the bench. there’s an odd moment or so where shuichi realizes he’s now holding hands with kiyo, and his brow works for a second, as though he’s trying to figure out how he feels about that, before letting go.

 

kiyo tips his head in a little greeting, standing from the piano bench in a graceful motion. ‘ i hope the rest of your night goes well, shuichi. i will walk out with you. ‘ the detective just kind of nods, looking almost dazed as he tries to process the goings-on of the last few minutes. kaede feels bad for finding his expression funny, but he looks _comically_ lost.

 

she supposes she understands it - she’s not quite sure a detective’s viewpoint of facts covers kiyo and his dead friend. she walks on shuichi’s other side, even if he doesn’t know she’s there.

 

‘ good night, kaito, ‘ kiyo says politely to the astronaut, who is trying very hard to look like he _wasn’t_ trying to eavesdrop, and there’s a stuttered out return of the sentiment before kiyo is gliding away. kaede stays behind for a minute or so, just enough for a baffled kaito to begin asking shuichi what he was talking about. ( and to hear shuichi’s feeble attempts at lying or dodging the question. )

 

when she catches back up to kiyo, she doesn’t see him until he calls her name, voice soft - he’s cloaked in the shadows of the staircase, like some vampire, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed as he watches the locked door to what kaede _assumes_ is more floors patiently.

 

‘ what are we doing here? ‘ she hisses out, feeling as though she has to whisper, even if he’s the only one who can hear her.

 

‘ i told you, ‘ he murmurs, eyes still focused on the gateway. ‘ there’s a hypothesis i’d like to confirm. ‘ he doesn’t elaborate, despite kaede’s next few repeated questions about it, and eventually, she falls quiet as well, leaning on the wall next to him and waiting for . . . something. she’s about to ask how long they’re going to wait there when she hears a soft clicking sound. something that could be attributed to mice, almost, if it wasn’t so mechanical.

 

the locked door swings open and kokichi steps out, furtively closing it behind him with both hands to shut it without making a sound, and pulling out two thin metal strips, fiddling with the doorknob for a moment or two, before it clicks, presumably locked again. he turns around, expression oddly serious and face wary, as though he senses something is _off._

 

kiyo steps out of the shadows.

 

‘ hello, kokichi, ‘ he says, as though it was a normal conversation they were having in passing in the halls, and not him coming out of nowhere. kokichi jumps, but hurriedly regains composure, arms folding behind his head and pouting.

 

‘ aww, kiyo, you scared me! why do you always have to be so creepy like that, huh? ‘ he whines, but something about it seems . . . off, and he’s still _quiet,_ as though he doesn’t want the two of them ( three of them ) to be heard. his lower lip starts to wobble, crocodile tears forming in his eyes. ‘ are - are you here to kill me? i’m too young and beautiful to die! ‘

 

‘ stop that, ‘ kiyo says, curtly. ‘ you know that i’m not here to kill you just as well as i know those aren’t real tears. ‘ his head tips to the side, just a degree. ‘ if i wanted you dead, kokichi, i wouldn’t have bothered to greet you. it would have been easy to slit your throat while your focus was still on the door. _kehehe._ but i have no interest in killing anyone. just being an observer. ‘

 

silence, for a moment.

 

‘ could you _be_ any creepier? ‘ kaede demands, throwing her arms out in exasperation. this wasn’t a way to get someone to work with them. but other than a slight twitch of two fingers, kiyo doesn’t show that he heard her.

 

‘ well, guess you’re pretty observant, huh, kiyo? ‘ kokichi asks, eyes bright again, face somehow not stained with tears, eyes not red - kaede always wondered how he managed to do that. ‘ soooo, what _are_ you doing here? are you spying on people again? ‘

 

‘ no, actually, ‘ he says, and reaches into his . . . pockets? sleeves? he’s not wearing a jacket, so kaede isn’t entirely sure where he was hiding these things, and holds out two small things - a brightly colored package of gum and a ceramic figure. a peace offering of sorts. ‘ i wanted to speak with you. ‘

 

kokichi pulls a mock offended face. ‘ you think the ultimate supreme leader of evil can be bribed just like this? ‘ however - kaede sees his eyes flick back to the items in kiyo’s hands. ‘ i need your soul, at _least._ ‘

 

‘ _kehehe._ a bold assumption you make, thinking i still have one. ‘

 

‘ don’t play along with him! ‘ kaede exclaims, exasperated.

 

‘ oooh, good point. well maybe you’ll have to get me someone _else’s_ soul then, how about that? ‘

 

kiyo raises one finger, the other hand still holding the two items. ‘ i have . . . a counterpoint. something to offer instead. ‘

 

‘ oooh? what’s that? ‘

 

‘ information, ‘ kiyo says, simply. ‘ i’d prefer if we could return to your room to talk. ‘

 

kokichi drums his fingers on his chin, pretending to be deep in thought. ‘ well, what if you’re just gonna kill me there? that would make it harder for someone to find out who did it! it better be _reaaally_ good information, or i’m not interested, you know. ‘

 

‘ a message rantaro asked me to give you, ‘ kiyo states, voice even, and though his expression doesn’t change, kaede sees something in kokichi’s eyes sharpen, focus on kiyo with a new sort of clarity, _searching_ him.

 

‘ alriiiiiight, fine, you got me, ‘ he says, after a moment of thinking, and swipes the gum and doll out of kiyo’s hand, sticking them into the pockets of his not-quite straightjacket. ‘ but only because it’s from my beloved rantaro, you know. ‘ he sniffs, dramatically. ‘ i still can’t believe he and kaede are d-d-dead! ‘

 

‘ stop that. ‘ kiyo states, as the two of them walk back to the dorms.

 

‘ kinda cold, aren’t you, kiyo? ‘

 

‘ death is only . . . a matter of change of form. like a solid to a liquid, the soul still exists, even if it is in a less concrete form than before, ‘ kiyo says, eyes distant in the way they sometimes get, as they walk up to kokichi’s room. ‘ communicating with the dead is still possible. therefore i have no reason to exert myself more than i need to with grieving. ‘ his eyes dart to where kaede walks next to them. ‘ somehow, i don’t think they would mind. ‘

 

‘ you sure say a lotta stuff, ‘ kokichi says, opening his door and inviting kiyo in with a dramatic sweep of his arm. ‘ hey, kiyo! how do you know i’m not just gonna kill you? i could keep your body in here for days, and no one would ever be able to figure out what happened! ‘

 

‘ i’ll take my chances, ‘ kiyo says dryly, and steps into the room.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS ONE'S A DOOZY the scene with shuichi just kinda . . . . Happened. up next: bringing kokichi In On It!
> 
> HUGE THANKS TO HONEYCUBED ON INSTA, WHO DREW THE ART HERE !!! they're incredibly talented and i'm just very ;w;


	6. Chapter 6

the door shuts behind them, and kiyo takes up one of the seats in the room, folding one leg comfortably over his knee and giving a dubious look to the two or so cardboard boxes already beginning to overflow with crayon drawings, and the whiteboard with all their pictures on it that kokichi had managed to bring up here somehow.

 

kokichi perches on the back of one of the other chairs, drumming his fingers on his knees. ‘ soooo, kiyo. you wanted an audience with me? ‘ he feigns a loud yawn and an exaggerated look at the clock. ‘ my time is very precious, you know, so i can’t really afford to give you too much of it. ‘

 

‘ you beginning to regret picking him to work with you, yet? ‘ kaede murmurs, leaning on the back of kiyo’s chair and snorting at the brief flash of irritation in his eyes. whether it’s directed at her or kokichi, it’s still pretty funny.

 

kiyo laces his fingers together. ‘ you are . . . remarkably talented at telling whether or not someone is lying, yes? ‘

 

‘ maaaybe, ‘ kokichi replies, examining his nails. ‘ why? ‘

 

‘ i’m going to tell you something. you will have the opportunity to see that i am not lying, and i will offer what proof i can that i am not either lying or delusional. i need your help with something, but i know that you aren’t foolish enough to trust me without understanding my motivation. ‘

 

kokichi’s expression is . . . blank, all of a sudden, but he gestures for kiyo to keep talking.

 

‘ however, ‘ kiyo says, holding up one finger, ‘ i would ask that you not interrupt me while i’m telling you. no matter what . . . commentary you have to add. ‘

 

‘ i can’t make any promises, kiki! ‘ kokichi says in a sing-song sort of voice, but his eyes are still focused on kiyo, one leg bouncing a little bit impatiently. ‘ you’re not planning to kill someone, are you? ‘

 

‘ this is the fourth time in five minutes you’ve accused me of that. one would think you’d be beginning to grow tired of it, by now. ‘

 

‘ well, to be fair, you’ve not really given me much proof that you _won’t,_ y’know. you’re kinda creepy! you can’t blame me for being a little careful, can you? ‘ and his face slides into a smile that’s almost inhuman, tilting forwards just enough so his hair casts ominous shadows over his face. ‘ after all, you’ve killed before, haven’t you? ‘

 

‘ what? ‘ kaede says, a little blankly.

 

‘ you’d make a good anthropologist yourself, if you ever so desired, ‘ kiyo muses. ‘ yes, i have. and as such, i know, despite your claims, that you _haven’t_ ever killed before. ‘

 

kokichi’s irreverent tone, drawling out into a whine, doesn’t match the uncharacteristic seriousness in his eyes as he says ‘ well, you’re not gonna _tell_ anyone, are you? i can’t just have my reputation be ruined like that! ‘

 

‘ _kehehe._ i am not an interferer by nature. simply an observer. i am sure you have your own plans, and i will play my own part in them, as will the rest of the group. i have no desire to ruin your facade. ‘

 

kokichi nods. ‘ aaaanyway, we kinda got off track, huh? what’d you want to tell me about? ‘

 

kiyo sighs slightly, fiddling with his pendant. ‘ i will ask you to keep an open mind, here. ‘ he lets it drop back against his white shirt and begins speaking. ‘ i have mentioned, in passing, the ability to communicate with the dead, and have alluded to my own ability to do so. as such, i have been able to . . . remain in contact, so to speak, with kaede and rantaro. as spirits, their opportunity to investigate here has both been limited and increased. the two of them discovered an alternative route to the secret room. i would prefer to have someone with me to explore said route, as i don’t wish to go the same way as rantaro. ‘

 

kokichi’s expression is starry-eyed and childish. ‘ woooah, you really do believe in all your ghost story stuff! is this why you said you had a message for me, huh? huh? is it really from rantaro’s ghost? ‘

 

not allowing himself to be riled up, kiyo just inclines his head. ‘ indeed. ‘

 

‘ weeell? what is it? ‘

 

kiyo’s eyebrow raises a fraction of a degree, and it almost feels like he could be pursing his lips underneath his mask, drawing out his silence for a beat in order to watch kokichi’s impatience. kaede wasn’t sure _what_ she expected, but she’s totally lost when she does hear the short message kiyo gives the other.

 

‘ horse a, twins b. ‘

 

something sharpens in kokichi’s expression, and the nervous energy in his body stills, looking at kiyo intently.

 

‘ how can i be sure you aren’t just the mastermind, if you know this? ‘ he asks, finally, worrying one thumbnail between his teeth.

 

‘ the same reason i am fairly certain _you_ aren’t the mastermind. the both of us are already highly suspicious. it would make no sense for the mastermind to be either of us. ‘

 

‘ fair enough, ‘ kokichi says, still chewing his nail. suddenly, as if struck by a thought, he grins. ‘ hey, since they’re both dead, how are kaede and rantaro getting along? it’s gotta be _preeeeetty_ awkward, being stuck wandering around with the person who bashed your head in. ‘

 

‘ kaede didn’t kill rantaro. at least - according to him, and to evidence they found in the secret room. her shot missed, and someone with a different one used it to cave his skull in whilst he was distracted by the initial shot and the cameras. ‘

 

‘ so . . . either rantaro is lying, or the mastermind is willing to cheat at their own game, ‘ kokichi murmurs, almost absently. ‘ but in a way no one else could prove. ‘ he snorts slightly, looking back towards kiyo. ‘ or you’re just batshit crazy, but this seems interesting enough, so i’m gonna go along with it for now. ‘

 

‘ much obliged, ‘ kiyo says, dryly. ‘ though you can see tomorrow whether or not i’m lying, when we investigate. ‘

 

‘ why don’t you two just go tonight? ‘ kaede asks, resting her elbows on the back of kiyo’s chair. ‘ no one else is going to be around right now. ‘

 

when kiyo answers her, he’s still looking at kokichi, speaking as though he’s just continuing on his previous thought. ‘ because _since_ no one else is around at this time, it would also be the peak time for the mastermind to make their way to the room. an interception with them is something i would . . . prefer to avoid. ‘

 

‘ i dunno, ‘ kokichi says, tapping his chin as if deep in thought. ‘ i think between me and you, we could take ‘em! ‘

 

‘ no, ‘ kiyo says firmly.

 

‘ awww, ‘ kokichi whines, pouting, shoulders slumping as though in devastating disappointment. ‘ you’re no fun at all, kiyo. ‘

 

‘ somehow, i’ll live with that. ‘

 

‘ anyway, ‘ kokichi says, steepling his fingers curiously, one foot tapping with a constant nervous energy that seems to wrack his small form at all times. ‘ you can talk to rantaro and kay-ay-day, right? is there anyway _i_ can talk to them? i wanna ask my dear rantaro some things! ‘

 

‘ . . . in a way, yes, ‘ kiyo says, slowly. ‘ but only through me. ‘

 

‘ so i have to say things to you that i want them to hear or so on? awww, that’s so boring. and i can’t be sure that you’re not just changing the things they say, y’know? ‘

 

‘ no, you misunderstand, ‘ kiyo says, shaking his head. ‘ through me, literally using my mouth. i’m sure you’re familiar enough with the basic concept of possession, so i won’t go into the intricacies of how it works for right now. ‘

 

‘ will you later? ‘ kokichi asks, a brief spark of curious interest in the back of his eyes.

 

‘ if you wish, ‘ kiyo says with a graceful nod. ‘ it is . . . specifically rantaro you want to speak with, or do you just want to see a demonstration of the process itself? because kaede has accompanied me here, whereas rantaro has not. ‘

 

‘ oh? why not? ‘

 

‘ he’s tailing one of our suspects as to who the mastermind might be. ‘

 

‘ oooohh, who? who? ‘

 

‘ we can tell you tomorrow, during our investigation, yes? so - back to my question. ‘

 

kokichi nods, considering it, head tipped to the side for a moment and chewing his nail. ‘ i think . . . no, it has to be rantaro. can you get him here? ‘

 

kiyo - it’s hard to tell, with him, but it seems as though he’s grimacing. ‘ i can recall him to me, it’s simply an . . . ‘ he sighs, shaking his head and the remnants of whatever he was going to say. ‘ i suppose this once it wouldn’t hurt. ‘

 

one hand finds his mask, fingers curling in the dark cloth, and at that, kokichi perks up, clearly interested. kaede can’t really blame him, either. kiyo’s outfit and nature make finding anything else out about him a compelling prospect. kiyo’s other hand presses to the back of his head, eyes fluttering shut.

 

from kaede’s point of view, it’s an interesting sight. for a moment, it looks like rantaro is just suddenly superimposed onto kiyo, frozen in the pose he was taking. then it’s just kiyo but. . . not kiyo, the hand he’d had on the mask pulling it down, the eyes that blink open very clearly rantaro’s, in shape and color, the expression of confusion looking like his as well, the curves of his mouth the same.

 

‘ what - kaede, what happened? ‘ he asks, slowly dropping the mask and drawing his hand back from the back of his/kiyo’s head. he and kaede and kokichi all flinch when, for a second, it looks as though kiyo’s bandaged fingers come back soaked with vibrantly bright blood, before it . . . dissolves? soaks? into the bandages, making it look as though it were never there.

 

‘ rantaro? you okay? ‘ kaede asks, cautiously.

 

‘ oh, i’m fine, ‘ he says, blinking out of it. ‘ it’s odd. my head hurt for a second. ‘

 

‘ ooh, ooh, i bet i know why! ‘ kokichi says, waving his hand as though he’s an enthusiastic student in class, and kaede rolls her eyes. rantaro seems . . . oddly amused by it, though, smile softening at the edges, looking almost . . . indulgent?

 

‘ oh _no,_ ‘ kaede groans. ‘ don’t tell me you’re starting to think of _him_ as your little brother or something. ‘

 

‘ you shush, ‘ he says with a grin in her direction, before turning back to kokichi. ‘ so - you wanted to talk to me, huh? ‘

 

kokichi is following his gaze with sharp eyes, and points in kaede’s general direction. ‘ so kaede’s somewhere over there, huh? ‘

 

‘ she says hi, ‘ rantaro says, kaede immediately protesting that she did _not,_ the ex-survivor’s only reaction being a bit of a grin. ‘ how much have you figured out, anyway, kokichi? ‘ there’s something . . . sharp, suddenly, in his eyes. evaluating.

 

‘ this isn’t the first, ‘ kokichi says, knee bouncing. ‘ killing game. there’s . . . someone watching. monokuma wouldn’t have so many rules, otherwise. and i’ve got . . . a theory about how they’re monitoring us. and, ‘ he grins. ‘ i managed to break into your lab! twice now. though i’ve not had as much time as i want to try different combinations. ‘

 

kaede feels . . . a little bit in over her head. combinations?

 

‘ did kiyo pass on what i said? ‘ rantaro asks, and kokichi nods. ‘ horse, gemini, ‘ he mutters to himself. ‘ glad you did. i’d only gotten through the first twenty-eight combinations. ‘ he rests his chin on his fists. ‘ what _is_ your talent, anyway? i just know . . . you got a little more information than the rest of us. ‘

 

rantaro laughs, rubbing the back of his head and looking away. ‘ i feel like you’ll like this. ‘

 

‘ what is it? ‘

 

‘ ah, it’s . . . the ultimate survivor. ‘

 

kokichi’s face goes blank for a second, as though he’s processing that, before he doubles over giggling, motioning as though he’s wiping a tear out of the corner of his eye. kaede isn’t close enough to him to see whether he’s _actually_ doing that, or if he’s just being overdramatic for the hell of it. ‘ so you’re saying literally your _only_ talent was staying alive, and, and - ‘

 

‘ yeah, yeah, rub it in, ‘ rantaro says, huffing dramatically and raising his arms in surrender.

 

‘ well, this is certainly quite the crew! ‘ kokichi says brightly, grinning. ‘ we’ve got two dead people, and the two people everyone here trusts the _least._ i don’t see how this could go wrong! ‘

 

‘ kaede’s been trying to get shuichi in on it, ‘ rantaro says, nodding in her direction. ‘ kiyo thought it might be smart to ask you first. we thought you might be more likely to at least . . . entertain the idea of ghosts and so on, or doing things like we are. ‘

 

‘ well, i’m all for it, ‘ kokichi says with a nod. ‘ unless, of course, you get caught, and in that case, i don’t know you and i’ve never talked to you before. got it? ‘

 

‘ sounds like a deal, ‘ rantaro says cheerfully, extending one of kiyo’s hands to shake on it. ‘ meet us - or. kiyo, probably, outside the first floor bathrooms after we finish breakfast tomorrow. ‘


	7. Chapter 7

kaede had, for the most part, gotten used to being dead.

 

it was an odd thing to think, but she had accepted it. it came with some advantages, after all, and there wasn’t anything she could do but try and make the most of it.

 

however, looking at the breakfast spread kirumi had laid out this morning, kaede _really, really_ wished she was still alive.

 

‘ i don’t even _like_ miso soup that much, but i think i’d cut off an arm to have some of that, ‘ rantaro says with a bemused little smile, shaking his head as he looks at all of their classmates beginning to dig in to the immaculate food, singing its praises.

 

‘ honestly? me too, ‘ kaede replies, a little wistfully.

 

kirumi is carrying yet more food in on platters - right now, a dish of delicate little pastries with bright jam centers of different colors and flavors, the smell of butter practically singing in the air, offering it out to each of the students at their seat. ‘ kiyo, would you like some? ‘

 

kiyo holds up one hand slightly in polite denial. ‘ no, thank you, kirumi. i’ve never been particularly fond of sweets. ‘ she nods and begins to carry on down the line.

 

‘ aw, ‘ kaede murmurs, staring after them, ‘ those look _amazing._ i wish we could taste those. ‘

 

kiyo doesn’t look at her, but he does lean back in his seat for a moment. ‘ actually - kirumi, is there any possibility i could have some of those saved for later? perhaps i will be more in the mood later in the day. ‘

 

‘ of course, ‘ kirumi says with an elegant tilt of her head, and finishes passing out the food, returning from the kitchen a few minutes later with a neatly wrapped package of some of the pastries that kiyo tucks into his jacket with a murmured thanks, going back to his food and watching the others as they carry on conversation - tenko gushing over the texture of the rice and himiko, kaito being far too loud for this time of the morning, shuichi glancing furtively at him every few moments.

 

‘ aw, that’s sweet, ‘ rantaro says, resting an elbow on kaede’s shoulder and cheerfully ignoring the glare she shoots him for it.

 

‘ what is? ‘

 

‘ if i’m right, ‘ rantaro says, quietly enough that it’s almost a whisper, ‘ kiyo’s saving those so we can try them later, when he can take off his mask. ‘

 

‘ oh! ‘ kaede responds, surprised. ‘ i hope so. ‘

 

the two of them settle comfortably in the room, watching the small talk bounce back and forth. gonta mentions that there are no bugs there, and kokichi sits up just a little bit straighter, frowning at that for some reason. kaito punches ryoma in the upper arm and asks him if he isn’t happy he lived after all - ryoma grumbles, but he does look . . . less apathetic, clearing through his plate.

 

kaede gasps, shaking rantaro’s arm. ‘ look!! look, shuichi isn’t wearing his hat! ‘

 

‘ oh! so he isn’t! ‘ rantaro replies, expression that of mild surprise. ‘ good for him. it seems like he’s been doing better. ‘

 

kaede nudges the back of kiyo’s seat, knowing he’s listening to them even if he doesn’t clearly display it. ‘ it’s a good morning, huh? even you couldn’t make this weird. ‘ kiyo, as usual, shows no sign of hearing her, just taking a long sip of his tea.

 

kirumi’s praises are sung throughout the group again ( kokichi asks her to be his mom ), and kiyo speaks up in turn as well, arms spread in almost ecstasy, eyes closed. ‘ mm, it’s so delicious, it makes me want to cut off my tongue. ‘

 

kaede kicks the back of his chair, her foot going right through it. ‘ that _wasn’t_ a challenge, and you know it! ‘

 

it’s hard to tell with him, but she thinks he might, for a second, look smug.

 

when kokichi meets them outside the bathrooms on the first floor, about half an hour later, he’s literally dragging a very uncertain looking shuichi with him, smiling angelically even as shuichi tries to squirm his arm out of his hands. ‘ kokichi, what - oh. hello, kiyo. ‘ kokichi finally lets go of him, and he fiddles with the cufflinks on his jacket sleeve. ‘ is this - are you, um. does this have something to do with . . . the ghost thing? ‘

 

‘ in a manner of speaking, ‘ kiyo replies, inclining his head, before looking at kokichi. ‘ how much did you tell him? ‘

 

‘ oh, nothing! ‘ kokichi says cheerfully. ‘ i just thought he should come with us, y’know? if both of us are going in through the girls’ bathroom, he can stand guard at the closet door and warn us if there’s someone outside so we don’t walk out together. ‘

 

‘ first of all, shuichi is also male. secondly, has he . . . agreed to this? ‘ kiyo asks, massaging his temples with bandaged fingers. ( ‘ you wanted this! ‘ kaede points out, resting her hands on her hips )

 

‘ weeeeeell, noooo, ‘ kokichi says, as shuichi looks between them, looking completely lost. ‘ but you said you wanted him to be part of our group, right? riiiight? ‘

 

‘ perhaps at a . . . later time, ‘ kiyo says, tiredly. ‘ when we have more proof with us. shuichi, i am . . . sorry kokichi has pulled you into this. i will . . . explain this more in-depth later. ‘

 

‘ ah, um - okay, ‘ shuichi says, eyes darting uncertainly. ‘ . . . hey kiyo. last night, was that - ‘

 

‘ as i said then, shuichi, ‘ kiyo says, eyes unblinking, but almost . . . a little sympathetic, ‘ it was not a dream, but if it helps you to think of it as one, i am not opposed to that. i _have_ been communicating with kaede and rantaro, as kokichi also now knows. ‘ kokichi gives a grin and a little wave.

 

shuichi hesitates, then nods. ‘ alright. i still don’t . . . understand, really, but i’ll trust you two. can you tell me more, though, once you figure out - whatever it is you’re looking for here? ‘

 

‘ of course, ‘ kiyo responds, resting a slim hand on his shoulder. ‘ and . . . if you’re looking to talk to the two of them again, i am not unwilling, provided we have a private place. ‘

 

shuichi hesitates, but then nods, with a tiny smile. ‘ . . . thanks, kiyo. you’re a good person. ‘

 

‘ _kehehe._ thank you for the compliment - however, that is a very broad assumption to make about someone of whom you still know very little. your faith is beautiful, ‘ he says, clutching his shoulders, and kokichi just _looks_ at him for a second before groaning and pushing shuichi a few steps out towards the branching of the hall.

 

‘ guess you can’t join the cool kids club just yet, shuichi!! sowwy! ‘ he grins and turns back around. ‘ alriiiight, kiyo, now or never, yeah? ‘

 

kiyo sighs. ‘ are you two sure this is where it was? ‘ he asks, turning back to face rantaro and kaede.

 

‘ yes, ‘ kaede says, nodding firmly.

 

‘ alright, ‘ kiyo replies, pushing the door to the girls’ bathroom open and stepping in. ‘ i ask only because if it _isn’t,_ and tenko finds out about my trespass, _you_ will have to deal with my eternal soul. _‘_

 

‘ having died myself now, i have to say that seems like a fate worse than death, ‘ rantaro says, grin dancing on his face, and kaede can’t help but giggle.

 

‘ it’s no fair you’re leaving me outta half the conversation, kiyo, ‘ kokichi chastises, as they ( much to their collective relief ) find the girls’ bathroom empty. ‘ don’t you trust me? ‘ his eyes fill up easily with crocodile tears.

 

‘ . . . to an extent, of course, ‘ kiyo says with remarkable patience. ‘ however, the process of being able to freely communicate with the dead is . . . not one to go through lightly. especially if one pursues it in the same way i did. ‘ he walks to the closet, opening the door, revealing - a lot of cleaning supplies, mostly, and steps in with a slight furrow in his brow, beginning to look everything over carefully.

 

‘ oh? how did you do it? ‘

 

‘ i was brought to the brink of death and sustained there for so long that i was able to look through the veil, ‘ kiyo says, in a tone of voice as though he were remarking on the pleasant weather. ‘ of course - it happened several times before the effect became permanent, rather than something just experienced while my own body teetered on the precipice of life. ‘

 

he turns towards rantaro and kaede, who are both staring at him. ‘ so - do i just push on the wall, here? ‘

 

‘ . . . yeah, ‘ rantaro says, eventually. ‘ that’s it. ‘

 

‘ woooow, kiyo! you really are kinda a freak, huh? ‘ kokichi asks brightly as the anthropologist closes the closet door behind the four of them and presses a bandaged hand to the wall. kaede can’t be sure, but there might have been something almost like concern in kokichi’s purple eyes for a second before there stopped being enough light to see by.

 

‘ _kehehe._ if that is the label you wish to use for me, so be it, ‘ kiyo replies, seemingly unbothered, and pushes forwards - and the wall _gives,_ tipping forwards into an open hallway. ‘ ah. it would appear rantaro and kaede were correct, then, yes? ‘

 

‘ oldest first! ‘ kokichi says, nudging kiyo in the ribs with one elbow.

 

‘ _kehehe._ our birthdays are all documented in the report cards, yes? ‘

 

‘ yeaaaah, so? ‘

 

‘ you are older than me by a month, ‘ kiyo finishes, and kaede doesn’t have to guess, now, to know that he’s smiling under his mask. she can just _tell._ kokichi’s mouth opens and closes once, giving him a long look through narrowed eyes before huffing dramatically, turning on one heel, and stepping into the passage, kiyo gliding through after him.

 

‘ you know, ‘ rantaro says mildly, ‘ one of us could have just gone first to make sure the passage was empty. ‘

 

‘ yes, ‘ kiyo murmurs in reply, ‘ but it is the principle of the thing. ‘

 

‘ are you sure you aren’t just being petty? ‘ kaede asks him, crossing her arms over her chest. pointedly, he continues to walk down the hallway, not answering her. ‘ that’s what i thought, ‘ she replied, shaking her head. ‘ unbelievable. ‘

 

‘ we’re here, ‘ kokichi says, a few steps ahead of them, his voice tinged with an uncharacteristic seriousness, sharp eyes looking around the room. kiyo joins him, looking around with clear interest. ‘ guess you weren’t just crazy after all, huh? ‘

 

kiyo’s hands tug down his mask, revealing bright red lips, and his eyes narrow, turn corpse-glassy. ‘ for a group of people reliant on him for this scheme, you all have a terrible judge of my brother’s character. ‘ her eyes, sharp and accusing, turn on rantaro and kaede as well, and kaede can’t help but blanch back at the intensity of the glare. ‘ you as well. you should be grateful, you wretched fools, and yet you do nothing but insult him. ‘

 

‘ well, you aren’t kaede or rantaro, ‘ kokichi says, folding his hands behind his back.

 

‘ thankfully, no, ‘ sister spits out venemously, regarding him with cold eyes.

 

‘ soooo, who are you? ‘

 

‘ i am korekiyo’s older sister, ‘ she responds, brushing forcefully by him to begin looking around the room herself. her arms wrap around her borrowed body, and, close enough to her, kaede can hear her murmuring ‘ - you see, my sweet korekiyo? there will never be anyone who appreciates you for who you are. only me. ‘

 

kaede shudders subconsciously. creepy.

 

kokichi seems to share the sentiment - or, kaede guesses he might. it’s hard to tell - there’s a shadow cast over his eyes right now that makes him nigh on impossible to read. still, he brightens up quickly. ‘ welllll, i’m sorry, nee-san! ‘

 

korekiyo’s sister whirls around, murder in her eyes. ‘ don’t you _dare_ call me that, you insignificant - ‘

 

‘ but anyway! ‘ kokichi says loudly, cutting her off. ‘ we kiiinda need kiyo back for our investigation, you know? it was super nice to meet you, though! ‘

 

she glares at him for a few seconds, and he blinks innocently back at her, the two of them locked in a stalemate, before, begrudgingly, she pulls the mask back up. kaede can’t believe she would ever be this relieved to see _kiyo,_ and yet . . .

 

‘ hey, kiyo, no offense, ‘ kokichi says, arms folded behind his head as he begins to check around the room, ‘ but your sister’s suuuper weird. ‘

 

‘ don’t talk about her like that, ‘ kiyo bites, but he isn’t even looking at kokichi, walking instead to the benches and picking up the monopad splattered in blood. ‘ rantaro . . . this is yours, correct? ‘ he presses the button, _survivor’s perk_ appearing on the screen. ‘ kokichi. come look at this. ‘ he sits down, pad in his hands, and kokichi slides up next to him on the bench, peering to see the screen.

 

‘ it’s a full map of the school, huh? ‘ kokichi says, interested. ‘ and - as far as i can tell, it’s an accurate one. ‘

 

kiyo’s finger drifts over some of the rooms. ‘ we haven’t yet gained passage to most of these. ‘

 

‘ nooo, ‘ kokichi agrees, ‘ but i’ve gotten pretty far with some lockpicking and good old-fashioned ingenuity, you know? and - this much, ‘ he points out a few of the labs, the boiler room, the sub-room of ryoma’s ‘ is all true. and it included the secret room being behind the library, right? so it’s definitely more conclusive than our own. ‘

 

kiyo touched two rooms drawn on the map curiously. ‘ my lab, and yours. have you accessed either of them yet? ‘

 

‘ no, ‘ kokichi admits. ‘ not for lack of trying, though. i’m reeeeally curious to see what they put in mine. ‘

 

‘ this is . . . curious, ‘ kiyo murmurs. ‘ ah. ‘ he presses on one of the labs, the brief description appearing. ‘ it would seem that maki harukawa isn’t all she seems, after all. ‘

 

the title, in bold letters, read _ultimate assassin lab._

 

‘ oh, i’ve known that for a bit, ‘ kokichi says, feigning a yawn. ‘ i bet she’s got a bunch of weapons in there or something like that. ‘

 

‘ well, it certainly does explain a few things, ‘ kiyo murmurs, hand resting thoughtfully on his chin. ‘ i suspected she had killed . . . multiple people before, but i couldn’t fathom what reason a child caregiver would have to do something like that. ‘ his eyes gleam with a cold sort of mirth. ‘ i suspect she’s killed even more than me and our killer tennis combined, then. ‘

 

‘ are we just not going to talk about the fact that you’ve killed people? ‘ kaede bursts out, arms spreading in irritation. ‘ you’ve mentioned that a couple of times now! aren’t we going to get some explanation? who and why did you kill? ‘

 

kiyo, infuriatingly, doesn’t respond, simply looking through the survivor’s perk some more.

 

a chat bubble pops up in the lower corner.

 

‘ that’s my message to myself, ‘ rantaro says, pointing. ‘ but . . . hang on. ‘

 

there’s now a _2_ appearing in a small notifications bubble over the text notification.

 

‘ the 2 wasn’t there before, ‘ he says, voice low with a sort of unease.

 

‘ rantaro says that this was his message from his past self. the . . . survivor, ‘ kiyo informs kokichi, pressing the little text icon.

 

_clue to end the killing game_

 

‘ woah, what? ‘ kaede bursts, holding instinctively onto kiyo’s shoulder. ‘ rantaro - you had this and you didn’t share with us? ‘

 

‘ can you blame me, though? ‘ rantaro asks. ‘ i didn’t know who i could trust. ‘

 

‘ but maybe if you _had -_ ‘ kaede began, frustrated, before she was cut off by kiyo reading the letter from rantaro to himself.

 

‘ _the mastermind who is behind the killing game is hiding somewhere within the academy. your best chance of exposing them is when monokuma needs a spare. at that time, the mastermind will go to the library’s hidden room. ‘_

 

_‘ to prove this hint is accurate, i will predict something: the first thing you will remember is the ultimate hunt. ‘_

 

 _‘ only share this information with people you know you can trust. how you determine that will mean your life or your death. rantaro amami._ ‘

 

the four of them digested that for a moment, looking at the screen.

 

‘ i have . . . one thought, ‘ kiyo murmurs, setting the monopad in his lap. ‘ rantaro . . . do you have any recollection of writing this to yourself? ‘

 

‘ no, ‘ rantaro says, shaking his head. ‘ but i don’t remember making the video, either, you know? ‘

 

‘ of course, ‘ kiyo replies, seemingly lost in thought. ‘ my question is, then . . . how much of this was already set in stone? ‘ he gestures to the monopad with one bandaged hand. ‘ let us say, hypothetically, that it wasn’t you but the mastermind who included this letter in your perk. it would certainly serve the purpose of inducing paranoia in you, yes? but . . . it would also set within you the goal of ending the killing game. and . . . ‘ he said, one armcoming to grip his own shoulder, ‘ it would give you the hope that that was a feat you were capable of accomplishing. ‘

 

the other three looked at him in wary silence, beginning to fill in the blanks themselves, andnot really liking the story they told. still, he continued.

 

‘ by setting the time limit, the mastermind also would likely suspect when you would act - when it was starting to run out. and . . . whilst the monokubs do genuinely seem incompetent, it would be easy enough for them to trigger the destruction of monokuma themselves, right? the stage was set for you to attempt to end the killing game. given the paranoia they had induced in you . . . it was likely you would head to the library alone. ‘

 

kiyo tips one hand forwards, pointing slightly. ‘ i cannot say what their plan _would have_ been from there, but . . . the way it was, i believe was as i said in the trial. the mastermind took advantage of kaede and shuichi’s plan to catch them. your trap, ‘ he nods in kaede’s direction, ‘ failed, but nobody would know that but for them. so - they emerged from the secret passage whilst rantaro was distracted by kaede’s failed trap, and crushed his skull, then made their getaway in the same fashion they came. with the fact that kaede _would have_ killed rantaro, had she succeeded, the mastermind thus arranged a case where we would conclude kaede had committed the murder. ‘

 

dead silence.

 

‘ of course, ‘ kiyo continues in a tone of voice that seems almost careless, ‘ this is simply a hypothesis. ‘

 

‘ so . . . ‘ kaede begins, feeling a little chill, ‘ the mastermind used my plan to kill rantaro? ‘

 

‘ it’s probable, ‘ kiyo murmurs in return. ‘ oh! look, here’s the . . . second notification. ‘

 

‘ i don’t . . . remember this, ‘ rantaro says slowly, as kiyo keeps scrolling, to reveal . . . a second note. ‘ wait, if we don’t know if the first one was from me, do we know if this one is or not? ‘

 

‘ i don’t have the answers for you, ‘ kiyo replies smoothly, before beginning to read the next clue.

 

‘ _clue to end the killing game II. ‘_

 

 _‘ if you’re reading this, you’re too late to end the killing game totally. someone’s already dead. but . . . i guess that’s how it is sometimes, huh? this is the next part of the survivor’s perk - every time someone dies, you’ll unlock a new part of it. think of it like a bonus for being a survivor just a little bit longer. really proving your talent._ ‘

 

‘ ouch, ‘ rantaro says mildly, over the sound of kokichi’s snickering.

 

‘ _my next prediction is that there will be a motive in the form of videos about people we’ve left behind. your perk is a list of each of your classmates along with a brief summary of who their video shows. additionally, since the motive will likely result in someone’s death - there will be a kill count next to each name of who’s killed someone before this. ‘_

 

 _‘ your time is running out. hopefully, you’ll never need the next clue. rantaro amami._ ‘

 

‘ ooooh, ‘ kokichi says, peering over kiyo’s shoulder. ‘ lemme see! i wanna see! ‘

 

kiyo pulls up the new feature, which seems to be . . . a list. names, a brief description of their motive in a dropdown menu, anda small number next to their name stating the number of people they’ve killed before. ‘ it would appear . . . maki, ryoma, and i make up the top three, ‘ he states mildly.

 

‘ what? how many have you . . . ‘ kaede begins, feeling a little nauseous, trying to see over his shoulder.

 

‘ maki’s got like, three thousand! wow! ‘ kokichi says, his voice bright and childlike - but there’s clear scorn in his eyes, hands clenching the bench they sit on.

 

‘ mm. ryoma has - unsurprising, givenwhat we know about him - somewhere around two hundred and fifteen. ‘ kiyo’s voice, meanwhile, sounds almost impressed. ‘ whereas my own count lingers somewhere around . . . ah, yes. ninety-five. ‘ for some reason, he seems almost irritated by that.

 

kaede nearly chokes. ‘ you’ve killed _ninety-five_ people? ‘ she says, in a voice just short of a hysterical screech,

 

‘ yes, ‘ kiyo remarks mildly, as though he were making small talk. there’s a moment of uncomfortable silence as everyone digests that, and he continues to scroll. ‘ ah. as i thought - kirumi has a count of around twenty to her name. and despite all your claims to villainy, you yourself have zero, ‘ kiyo says, looking at kokichi, and then pressing the motive dropdown menu, eyes sparking with interest. ‘ though, i suppose that isn’t a surprise, after all. ‘ he stands, slipping the monopad into his jacket. ‘ is that everything we came for? ‘

 

‘ for right now, mostly! ‘ kokichi says, andholds up something familiar - the shotput ball kaede had used. ‘ i’mkeeping this as a souvenir! ‘

 

kiyo shakes his head, like an indulgent adult putting up with a child. ‘ if you must. ‘


	8. Chapter 8

‘ ah, kokichi, ‘ kiyo says, as they get a safe distance from the boys’ bathroom. ‘ let’s meet tonight to further discuss this. i have some of my own business to attend to, and i’m sure you’re much the same. ‘

 

‘ oooh, so mysterious,‘ kokichi hums, eyes shining. ‘ but fine, okay with me! let’s meet up in my room again, ‘kay? i don’t wanna see whatever creepy stuff you’ve got in yours. ‘

 

‘ you know, every time you open your mouth, i reconsider whether it was a good choice to ally myself with you, ‘ korekiyo says dryly, tucking the monopad into his jacket. ‘ one important thing to discuss - who else are we trusting? ‘

 

‘ i don’t even really trust _you_ , ‘ kokichi says airily, hands folded behind his head. ‘ buuut, but - if i had to pick someone, shuichi and gonta. and, miu has - ‘ he cut himself off abruptly, small pale hand covering his mouth mischievously.‘oh, sorry. i was just thinking out loud.‘ 

 

‘ noted, ‘ kiyo says, and kaede can almost see the exasperation settling into the creases under his eyes, becoming narrow yellow slits. ‘ i will see you tonight, kokichi. ‘ and with that, they part ways, kokichi humming loudly and obnoxiously, kiyo with his chin framed by his slim fingers thoughtfully as he returns to his room. once he does, he tugs down his mask, pulling the pastries he had taken out of the recesses of his jacket. he looks towards kaede and rantaro. ‘ please take the opportunity to eat, if you’d like. i know sister sometimes still likes to have the opportunity to. ‘

 

‘ should you really allow them this? ‘ _she_ murmurs, voice so low it’s almost a hiss, chin poised between fingers threaded together. ‘ it was years after i died before _i_ was able to communicate with the world of the living, or to taste food again. do you truly like these . . . _friends_ of yours so much that you would treat them better than your other half, korekiyo? ‘

 

kiyo hesitates, brows knotting.

 

‘ ah. if it . . . genuinely upsets you, sister, ‘ he says, fingers reaching for his mask where it’s fallen around his throat, ‘ then i will restrict them in this. but i don’t think that’s . . . a fair equivalency. i didn’t . . . intentionally restrict these things from you. ‘

 

‘ but you did nonetheless, did you not? ‘ sister asks, voice lilting and hypnotic, her forehead pressing against kiyo’s, spindly hands cupping korekiyo’s face, tilting his chin up so he was only looking at her as she floated above and in front of him. kaede exchanged an uneasy look with rantaro, seeing the almost . . . _entranced_ look kiyo had to him, like a deer hypnotized by an oncoming car. rantaro takes the look as a prompting, stepping forwards a bit with his hands stuffed into his pockets.

 

‘ you two were really close, huh? ‘ he asks, mildly, one corner of his mouth turning up. ‘ you seem like a pretty good little brother, kiyo. ‘

 

sister smiled, and there was something predatory and biting to it for a moment, before it becomes wide-eyed and pale and innocent all over again. ‘ of course. i am all he has ever had. ‘ she cradles kiyo’s head, running transparent fingers through his hair in a gesture that was . . . probably meant to seem loving, but all kaede could think was that it looked _possessive._ ‘ and we are all each other will ever need. ‘

 

‘ i feel like that about some of my sisters, too, ‘ rantaro says, with a wistful little smile.

 

sister grinned. ‘ do you? ‘

 

‘ sure, ‘ rantaro says, shrugging and leaning back on the wall. ‘ i’ve spent . . . a lot of my life travelling around for them. ‘ he tips his head in kiyo’s direction. ‘ he seems even more dedicated than me, though. people keep telling me it’s stupid to keep working for people who are probably dead, but you’re unquestionably dead, and he still hasn’t given up on you. ‘

 

after a long moment, sister releases kiyo’s face, tracing her fingers down the side of it again. ‘ given the circumstances, i suppose it’s alright you let them, ‘ she hums, something sinister still present in her smile, even though it looks outwardly gentle. she pouts a little bit. ‘ though . . . i’m alittle sad you never made kaede my friend. ‘

 

‘ i told you we can be friends if we want, ‘ kaede says, a little uneasily.

 

kiyo’s sister giggles around her fingertips as though she’s leaving kaede out of a joke. ‘ ah, so you did, didn’t you? ‘

 

kiyo clears his throat, looking a tiny bit uncomfortable. ‘ ah - anyway, as i was saying. you can . . . ‘ he gestures at the few pastries onthe table. his eyes trail towards the floor, brows knitting ever so slightly.

 

kaede decides to end the awkwardness of the moment, and steps forwards into kiyo’s body, picking up one of the pastries - that, against all odds, still somehow feel warm - and biting into it, holding one hand under her chin so no crumbs or filling falls to the floor of kiyo’s room. her eyes widen comically, stinging with tears. ‘ this is _so good,_ ‘ she exclaims to rantaro with her mouth full, feeling kiyo’s amusement in the back of her head. ‘ kirumi is such a good cook, i can’t believe it. i wish i . . . ‘ she shook her head. ‘ i - thank you, kiyo. these are _great._ ‘

 

‘ you going to save any for me? ‘ rantaro asks, voice mellow and teasing.

 

‘ nope, ‘ kaede says cheerfully, taking another bite - it seems almost like it melts in her mouth, outside crisp and buttery, the fruit inside this one tart at first but pleasantly sweet afterwards. ‘ all mine. ‘ she takes another bite, and kiyo’s stomach growls. she’s almost startled by it, looking down.

 

 _ah,_ kiyo says, sounding a little embarrased. _sometimes when i eat, that seems to happen. it will subside._

 

 _‘_ are you sure you shouldn’t just . . . eat more? ‘ she asks, concerned.

 

 _no,_ he hums. _it . . . imagine it as though i’ve taken custody of your metabolisms, with you being connected to me._

 

‘ . . . so with your sister, me, and rantaro, you essentially have to eat for four people? ‘

 

 _yes. i believe rantaro should have the last one, don’t you?_ kiyo asks mildly. still a little disconcerted, she nods, shifting out of his body. in the moment before rantaro steps in, kiyo brushes a hand through his hair. ‘ i might try finding a dust or surgical mask to replace the one i have now, ‘ he muses. ‘ so that i don’t have to continue to take it off for these situations. ‘ he closes his eyes, one finger primed upwards. ‘ especially useful in the event that there is another trial. ‘

 

‘ that won’t happen, ‘ kaede says firmly, pounding her fist into her opposite hand. ‘ we won’t let there _be_ another trial. ‘

 

when kiyo’s mouth opens again, it’s rantaro opening it, taking a contemplative bite out of the last pastry. ‘ i don’t know if - huh. wow, kaede, you were right. kirumi is an _amazing_ cook. anyway - i don’t think we can assure that. both of us already thought we might be able to stop the killing game, right? and, you know. ‘ he gestures to the two of them - to the four of them, three dead, all in kiyo’s room. ‘ it’s rigged. sooner or later . . . i think there’s going to be another trial. ‘ he crams the last of the pastry into his mouth, chews, and swallows, and then it’s kiyo standing there again, folding his arms over his chest.

 

‘ rantaro raises a good point, ‘ he says, tugging his mask back up thoughtfully. ‘ however - we _can_ probably, at the very least, reduce the number of trials that happen between now and the end of the game, or remove the possibility of a murder going unsolved and the mass execution that would follow. ‘

 

‘ i . . . ‘ kaede started, before deflating, just a little. she wants to keep up hope, that they really _can_ get out of here, that they won’t lose anyone else. she wants to be angry at rantaro and kiyo for their pessimism, but . . . it’s really just being realistic. ‘ i suppose. but . . . i want to make every effort we can to end this before that does happen, even if it is impossible. do you hear me? ‘

 

‘ loud and clear, ‘ rantaro says with an easy grin, rubbing the back of his head. ‘ for a pianist, you’re a pretty good public speaker, kaede. ‘

 

 _sister_ leans over and whispers something in kiyo’s ear, propping her chin on his shoulder and draping her arms around his chest possessively, and he nods. ‘ ah - rantaro, kaede. would you mind leaving us until nightfall? sister and i need to talk. ‘

 

‘ you guys aren’t - twins, right? ‘ kaede says suddenly, brow wrinkling. kiyo looks almost bemused by the prospect.

 

‘ no, not at all. she’s a little under eight years my senior. why on earth would you think that? ‘

 

kaede shrugged. ‘ i’ve got a twin. it seems like the only contexts i’ve heard people call someone else their other half is if they’re lovers or twins. just . . . curious, i suppose. ‘

 

a smile dances across sister’s face, breathy chuckle concealed behind almost spider-like fingers. ‘ you may be closer to the truth than you think, miss akamatsu. ‘

 

kiyo coughs slightly at that, but bows his head. ‘ meet with kokichi and i when we are in his room tonght. for now - if you could continue your monitoring of the mastermind suspects we have at the moment, that would be for the best. ‘ it seems almost as though he’s ushering them out, and when they pass out through the wall, kaede turns on impulse and tries to stick her hand back through, only to find it solid. like they’re locked out.

 

rantaro shakes his head. ‘ i . . . ‘ he scratches his neck. ‘ don’t tell kiyo this. but i don’t . . . like her. ‘


	9. Chapter 9

rantaro’s hands being idle, it would turn out, is a dangerous thing. he’s been the one peering over kokichi’s shoulder for the past five minutes, and he’s fiddling with kiyo’s hair as he does, idly first twisting small braids into it and then pulling all of it into a loose side braid, undoing the entire thing, and beginning again, this time turning inky locks into a fishtail braid.

_perhaps this was a bad idea,_ kiyo muses from the back of his head with an exaggerated note of annoyance as rantaro begins to pick his work apart again. rather than his zippered, slightly forboding mask, one of the monokubs had brought him a black dust mask, making it possible for the three phantoms that followed him to switch places whenever they so desired. ( rantaro had wanted him to take the dust mask with the cute dog face on it, but he had flat out refused. ah well. )

 

‘ so which do you think will be the most dangerous motives? ‘ rantaro asks of kokichi, scrolling through the list again, still a little unnerved by his own dried blood staining the back of the pad.

 

‘ well . . . ryoma’s, but not for him, ‘ kokichi says, pointing. ‘ cause he already said he was ready to die, remember? this is just gonna make him even happier to do it. he’d be easy prey for someone with _real_ motivation to get outta here. ‘

 

‘ and what of your own motive? ‘ kiyo asks, rantaro stepping out of his body to allow him to speak. ‘ it states here that your organization prohibits murder. it would be interesting indeed to see if you would break that vow to save them. ‘

 

‘ nah, ‘ kokichi says lightly, hands folded up behind his head, but there’s tension clear in his shoulders, in the way his eyes are dark, almost distant, and undoubtedly planning. ‘ come on, kiyo, you should know that evil organizations can handle themselves, y’know? what about yours? your motive gonna make you add to your count? ‘

 

sister pulls down the mask, revealing her bright red lips – the only one of them who does, now the accommodation has been made. ‘ _i_ am his motive. so there is no reason for him to. ‘ nonetheless, there’s something secret and smug in her dead eyes. kokichi checks kiyo’s tab.

 

‘ well – yeah, it says he made you some promise, ‘ kaede says, tugging up the dust mask as she takes her shift in kiyo’s body. ‘ and that he needs to get out of here so he can finish it. what kind of promise was it? ‘

 

‘ it is . . . unimportant, ‘ kiyo says, tugging at the bandages wrapped around his forearms, looking at the piles of _stuff_ heaping around kokichi’s room, now including kaede’s shotput, which wasn’t a murder weapon after all. ‘ it is something that can wait until we get out of here. ‘

 

kokichi wags a finger at him with a cunning little smile. ‘ weeeell, it can’t be _totally_ unimportant, or it wouldn’t be your motive, would it? sooo? ‘

 

kiyo doesn’t reply for a long moment, seemingly lost in thought.

 

‘ sister was sick for a long time, ‘ he says, finally. ‘ i made her a promise that i would find girls who would be friends with her, since she never got the chance to have many in life. ‘

 

‘ oh! ‘ kaede remarks, where she’s standing by the bed. ‘ is that why you asked me if i would be your sister’s friend as well? ‘

 

‘ indeed. i . . . my promise was to find people – girls only, around her age or mine, of high character, who would be good friends for her. ‘ for some reason, talking about this, he looks uncomfortable. shifty. ‘ kaede, whose hope and motivation made her a natural shining light in this place . . . she was a natural choice. ‘

 

‘ well, ‘ rantaro asks, ‘ at least she had you! ‘

 

‘ what do you mean by that? ‘ kiyo asks, tracing the ghost of rantaro’s handprint in the dried blood still caked onto the monopad.

 

‘ as a friend, ‘ he said, and nodded towards the silver shadow that indicated sister, usually still surrounding the body like a corona, even when kiyo was in control. ‘ even if she didn’t have many friends, she still had you. ‘

 

the mask comes down, sister appearing again. ‘ no, ‘ she almost sings, smile dancing gracefully on bright red lips. ‘ we were never . . . _friends._ he could be my little brother, and more, but never quite that. ‘

 

‘ more? ‘ kokichi asks, his face eerily blank, stilling with his finger hovering over the monopad’s screen.

sister’s arms spread as if almost in ecstasy, speaking like an ancient poet. ‘ _let old people know what is right, and what is allowed, and what is virtue and what is sin, and preserve the fine balance of the law. at our age love is what is fitting, that takes no heed. we do not know yet what is permitted, and we consider all things permitted, and follow the example of the great gods. ‘_ her dead eyes dance, lit up with something not quite human, and she covers her mouth with her fingers, spreads them slightly so her red lips can be seen through the cracks, looking almost coy. ‘ _can you say it? can you acknowledge it?_ ‘

 

‘ _no_ , sister, ‘ kiyo says, and tugs the mask back up, and rantaro thinks that seeing him look shaken feels . . . _wrong,_ somehow. ‘ not now. please. ‘

 

‘ _so she argues, and (so great is the undecided conflict in her mind) while she repented of the attempt, she delights in attempting_ , ‘ sister sighs in something like an apology, voice repentant, her hands resting primly in her lap - but her eyes nothing but wry and amused, rolling over kokichi’s face, rantaro’s, kaede’s. ‘ it’s a pity none of you know the classics. the written word is wasted on you all. ‘

 

‘ you talk too much, ‘ kokichi says, flopping back onto his bed and rolling his eyes, but rantaro can see something troubled, there, sees his eyes dart back and forth slightly and the slight knot to his brow as he picks apart whatever sister had been quoting. ‘ anyway. we got a game plan or anything like that? ‘

 

‘ for what? ‘ kiyo asks. ‘ the new motive? i assume we’ll have to wait until they’re distributed. which . . . may not be for some time yet. ‘

 

‘ no, ‘ kokichi says, rolling onto his stomach and resting his chin on his hands, elbows propping up his arms by way of the mattress, ‘ it’ll be soon. trust me. if we think about it as though someone were watching this, which i’m still willing to bet they _are,_ there’s been nothing big happening over the past two days or so. we gotta get exciting all over again. so the motives will be issued out, to keep the audience invested. ‘

 

‘ that is _if_ your theory is correct, ‘ kiyo points out. ‘ but i do see your point. monokuma does not seem the type to want long periods of stalemate. ‘

 

‘ yeah, the pacing’s gotta stay smokin’ hot, ‘ kokichi says, expression far too serious for his words. ‘ especially after they pulled a shocker like killing off joan of arc: musical edition, and the mysterious cabbagehead – they’re gonna have to keep things that level of interesting. ‘

 

‘ musical joan of arc? ‘ kaede murmurs to rantaro.

 

‘ count yourself lucky, ‘ he says with a tiny grin, ‘ i think musical joan of arc’s better than mysterious cabbagehead, at least. ‘

 

‘ who would watch this? ‘ kiyo muses, examining the watch? locket? that sits against his chest, thumb briefly brushing over the face of it.

 

‘ you, probably, ‘ kokichi drawls out, stretching out his words for emphasis. ‘ don’t try and tell me that if this wasn’t some show, you wouldn’t’ be interested in watching it to observe humanity or whatever. and i might watch it, too. seems like it could tell an interesting story, sometimes. ‘

 

‘ at the expense of the characters, ‘ kiyo murmurs with an incline of his head. ‘ a disadvantageous position for us to be stuck in, wouldn’t you say? ‘

 

kokichi pushes himself to sit up again, hands resting on his knees and lips parting, but doesn’t really get the chance to speak as his door creaks open, revealing the four remaining monokubs behind it, monophanie squealing a little to see kokichi’s lights on and the two of them awake, sitting on the bed and watching them. ‘ y-you’re not supposed to be awake right now! ‘

 

‘ and you’re not supposed to be coming into other peoples’ rooms without knocking, ‘ kokichi says coldly, examining his short nails. ‘ walk out and try it again. ‘

 

surprisingly enough, the monokubs heed his words, sheepishly closing the door behind them. a part of kaede wonders how they’d even managed to reach the doorknob in the first place, especially if it had been locked. kokichi didn’t seem the type careless enough to leave his door unlocked, after all, no matter what he had said on the first day.

 

‘ wait a second, ‘ monosuke yells, almost kicking down the door as he storms back in. ‘ we don’t gotta take orders from this asshole! why’re you all followin’ him? morons, all of youse. ‘

 

‘ yes you do, ‘ kokichi states, framing his face with his hands angelically. ‘ monokuma says i’m the mastermind for tonight, didn’t you hear? he’s taking a bit of a vacation and he left me in charge. ‘

 

‘ well, now we _know_ you’re lying! ‘ monotaro says triumphantly, crossing his arms? paws? stubs? ‘ daddy would put _us_ in charge, not you! ‘

 

‘ maybe he decided you were just too stupid for that, ‘ kokichi says with a grin.

 

‘ do you have something for us? ‘  korekiyo cuts in, before kokichi can take the opportunity to get into a drawn-out bickering match with the monokubs.

 

‘ yeah, yeah, keep your panties on, ‘ monosuke says with a dismissive wave of one paw, before turning back to his siblings. ‘ monophanie, give ‘em their kubs padz. ‘

 

monophanie fumbled an armful of – they looked like monopads, but slightly smaller, and brightly colored, dropping two of them, and pressing their buttons at random. ‘ oh – oh no! ‘ she exclaimed, sorting through them frantically. ‘ i – i think we gave away his already! ‘ she points one trembling paw at kiyo.

 

‘ don’t be stupid! why would we’a done that? ‘ monosuke snaps, shoving her aside to look through them himself. ‘ . . . ‘

 

‘ see! ‘ she says, pushing him right back.

 

kiyo stands from the bed, coming to crouch by the kubs and selecting a pad at random, watching the beginning of the recording on it – _back by popular demand, presenting . . . the motive video! –_ before returning his gaze to the monokubs, eyes level. ‘ you gave away my motive video to someone else? ‘ he asks, helping a flustering monophanie stack them back up neatly.

 

‘ we musta! ‘ monotaro says, clutching his head. ‘ oh no, dad’s gonna _kill_ us! ‘ he points an accusing paw at monosuke. ‘ this is all _your_ fault! you’re the one who said it would be fine to just give one’a them away at random. ‘

 

‘ me?? ‘ monosuke exclaims. ‘ how bout _you?_ you coulda been checking them beforehand, or – ‘

 

‘ may i interject? ‘ kiyo asks, raising one finger politely. ‘ i have a possible solution. just give all of the kubs pads to me. i will be able to redistribute them to their proper owners at breakfast, then, and you will still have accomplished your set task of passing them out to some of the students tonight. ‘

 

‘ you sure? ‘ monotaro asks, brightening up.

 

monosuke, on the other hand, doesn’t look convinced, pushing up his glasses and narrowing his eyes at kiyo. ‘ how’s we gonna know we can trust you? ‘

 

‘ what’s the alternative? clearly, you’ve already made a mistake, ‘ kiyo says calmly. ‘ if you give them to me, it’s no longer your fault. i’m willing to take responsibility for the incorrect pads you’ve handed out, and for retrieving them. i have no interest in interfering. ‘

 

‘ whatever, ‘ monosuke says with a huff. ‘ they’re your problem now, sucker! ‘ and he kicks over the careful stack of pads that monophanie had just finished, sending them sliding across the floor of kokichi’s room. ‘ least we already gave miss maid her own, and we’re only missing two besides that. should be fine. ‘

 

kiyo and kokichi’s eyes met briefly, but didn’t let the monokubs notice their shift in expression. kiyo scoops up the pads. ‘ thank you very much, ‘ he says, with a slight bow to the monokubs. ‘ you’ve made a good choice for once, i would say. ‘

 

‘ really? ‘ monophanie asks, eyes shining, and he inclines his head, leading to a small cheer from the pink bear, spinning in a joyful circle on the carpet, monosuke shaking his head in exasperation. ‘ thank you!! ‘

 

‘ alright, let’s get outta here, ‘ monosuke growls, shaking his head. all together, they chorus, a little bit more cheerfully now – ‘ so long, bear well! ‘

 

‘ well, ‘ kiyo says, sitting on the bed next to kokichi and depositing the pile of pads between them, ‘ that does certainly solve that little problem for us. ‘

 

‘ except kirumi got hers, ‘ kokichi says, gnawing his thumbnail, frustration clear in his body language. ‘ and that was one of the really important ones, too. and we know _someone’s_ got yours. hopefully they won’t want to kill you for having a sister complex, at least! ‘ he says, his tone joking, but the tension doesn’t clear from him.

 

‘ i don’t have – ‘ kiyo sighs, rubbing his eyes. ‘ nevermind. ‘ he sorts through the pads. ‘ ah – kaede, rantaro, yours aren’t included. which . . . i suppose does make sense, but your motives _are_ still listed on the survivor perk. ‘

 

‘ all of you have sisters, huh? ‘ kokichi asks, and when kiyo nods in affirmation, just holds up a hand. ‘ i’m gonna take that as a yes from rantaro and kaede, too, they don’t need to body-jump again to tell me that. rantaro, _how_ many do you have? it said something like a lot in your video, but no number particularly. ‘

 

‘ er – twelve younger ones, ‘ rantaro says, rubbing the back of his head. ‘ i’m supposed to be responsible for them – i was travelling looking for them, i think, before we all woke up here. ‘

 

‘ i’ve got a twin sister! ‘ kaede offers, her face falling a little as she remembers her. ‘ i hope she’s doing alright right now. ‘

 

‘ you’ve met my sister, ‘ kiyo says with an incline of his head. ‘ and you have your organization . . . who, in a way, are also like your siblings, yes, kokichi? ‘

 

‘ sorta, ‘ he says, taciturn in a way uncharacteristic of him. ‘ so. what’s the plan for tomorrow morning? ‘

 

‘ well . . . perhaps we can hook up the pads to the monitor in the cafeteria and play some of the videos, ‘ kiyo says, slowly. ‘ though i’m not . . . technologically minded enough to know how to do that on my own, i must say. you have a passing acquaintance with miu, correct? ‘

 

‘ yeah, i think we’ll need her help, ‘ kokichi says, legs swinging idly as he chews his lip raw. ‘ before that, though – we gotta change ryoma’s. if we’re showing all of them to everyone – we gotta find him a reason, or someone’s gonna single him out. ‘

 

‘ good point, ‘ kiyo notes. ‘ do you think miu may be able to help us change his video? and . . . perhaps more a relevant question is _would_ she? ‘

 

‘ i think she might, ‘ kokichi says, finger tapping on his knee. ‘ she’s pretty lonely, no matter how she acts. if you ask for something from her, she usually does it. i think it’s the only way she knows how to try and be friends with other people. which is kinda sad, if you ask me! but it comes in pretty useful for us. ‘

 

‘ we can indeed utilize that, ‘ kiyo murmurs, stroking over his chin. ‘ angie’s video – from what i can see, it appears to be in her language. we have the bare bones translation of it on the survivor’s perk, and i know some similar languages, but i will want to study them more so that i can do a passable translation for the others without it seeming _too_ suspicious that i only know specifically what those words mean. ‘

 

‘ you do that, ‘ kokichi says. ‘ and hold onto the other pads, will you? people don’t trust you, but in a different way than the way they don’t trust me. you’re just kinda suspicious, but if they see me carrying something around, they’re gonna think i’m scheming something. ‘

 

‘ you _are_ scheming something, to be fair, ‘ rantaro points out lightly, fiddling with kiyo’s hair again.

 

‘ but for their benefit! ‘ kokichi points out with a little pout. ‘ not that they’d believe me if i said that, though. so i want kiyo to hold onto all the pads, kaaaay? ‘

 

‘ i can do that, ‘ kiyo says with a nod. ‘ i will leave the responsibility of gathering the rest of the pads that we _don’t_ have at the moment to you, then. ‘

 

‘ oh, i’ve got a plan for that! ‘ kokichi said with a wide, wide grin that was leagues away from anything that could be considered trustworthy.

 

‘ . . . i will take your word for it, ‘ kiyo states eventually, deciding it might be within his own interests _not_ to ask. ‘ we’ll reconvene in . . . perhaps two days? to enact the later half of our plan, when we have all the modified pads as needed. ‘

 

‘ sounds good to me, pardner! ‘ kokichi says cheerfully, holding out a hand in kiyo’s direction.

 

‘ kokichi. you’re aware  i can _see_ the joke buzzer, yes? ‘

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sister is quoting a story from ovid's metamorphoses (ix), the story of byblis, who falls in love with her twin brother caunus. translation i used is here
> 
> http://ovid.lib.virginia.edu/trans/Metamorph9.htm#483366548


	10. Chapter 10

‘ we need to talk about the motive videos, ‘ kiibo announces at breakfast, to which everyone pauses and gives him odd looks. he blanches, ever so slightly. ‘ did no one else . . . get one? ‘

 

‘ i did, ‘ kaito says, rubbing the back of his head. ‘ those cubs pads or whatever, right? except mine was for angie. can’t understand it, either. in some other language. ‘

 

‘ oooh! ‘ angie exclaims, clapping her hands to her cheeks. ‘ may i see? may i? ‘ kaito begins to reach into the pockets of his jacket when kiibo interjects again, pointing across the table.

 

‘ no! we shouldn’t give each other our motives. it could just be cause for someone to kill someone else. ‘

 

‘ i also received one, ‘ kirumi says calmly, folding her hands together.

 

‘ oh, are we talking about those dumb videos? ‘ kokichi drawls out from where he’s drowning his pancakes in a mountain of whipped cream. ‘ i got one of those, too! ‘ he presses a finger to his lips with a little giggle. ‘ orrrrrr maybe i didn’t! maybe that’s a lie! ‘ there’s only a low groan in response to his antics, too early into the morning for him to get a larger reaction.

 

kiyo suddenly straightens, just a little, and kaede can see something focus in his eyes, brows drawing together, and his fingers steeple thoughtfully.

 

‘ did you think of something? ‘ she asks, though she knows he might not be able to answer her. the motion almost imperceptible, he tips his head slightly in acknowledgement. gently, his fingers brush against kokichi’s upper arm, though he doesn’t look at him, drawing his attention briefly.

 

‘ i remembered the answer you were asking me about, earlier, ‘ he says almost conversationally, as though kokichi had asked him a question about history or something trivial as that, and kokichi’s eyes flash with recognition.

 

‘ coooooool!! you’re gonna have to tell me all about it, kiyo! but maybe not here. everyone else is eating, after all. ‘

 

‘ what are you two talking about? ‘ tsumugi asks meekly.

 

korekiyo turns in her direction, hands embracing his own shoulders. ‘ ah, kokichi, despite his . . . unpleasant exterior, seems like he has the makings of an anthropologist after all. he asked me if there were any other cultures that performed similar burial rites to the ancient egyptians. ‘ he rests one finger on his chin thoughtfully. ‘ if i recall correctly, kokichi, the part you took a particular interest in was their lack of importance directed to the brain, yes? how it would be removed in chunks via the nasal canal and simply disposed of. though it would have to be liquified, of course, to begin - ‘

 

‘ alright! ‘ kaito says loudly, cutting him off. he looks a little bit ill, and kaede can’t help but hide a laugh behind her hand, though she does feel a little bad. ‘ can we _not_ talk about this while some of us are trying to eat, please? jeez. ‘

 

kokichi throws his arms out exaggeratedly. ‘ see! that’s what i said. but since you guys don’t _trust_ me - ‘ and his lower lip begins to wobble dramatically, eyes shining with crocodile tears, and kaito sighs.

 

‘ yeah, yeah, you were right. can we stop talking about it now? ‘ kaito begs.

 

after breakfast, kokichi meets kiyo by the stairs, both of them cloaked in the shadow they shed. ‘ i have what i believe is a plan, ‘ kiyo murmurs, arms holding onto his shoulders. ‘ utilizing both kirumi and maki, to prevent kirumi from using her motive to kill someone. once i have set things in motion, i’ll explain the plan to you. ‘

 

kokichi’s brows knit together for a moment. ‘ why not explain now? ‘

 

‘ because there’s always the chance kirumi won’t take the bait i intend to lay forwards, or that maki will react differently than my projections, and if so, i don’t want you to be caught off by a plan that might not succeed at all. ‘ he reaches into his bag, pulling out one of the pads. ‘ here is ryoma’s video. can you do what you suggested the other day and bring it to miu? ‘

 

‘ you’ve got a lotta nerve trying to boss around a supreme leader, ‘ kokichi scoffs, but he takes the pad anyway, slipping it into his jacket. ‘ i’ll have to remember this, kiyo. ‘

 

‘ of course, ‘ the anthropologist murmurs, seemingly too lost in thought to acknowledge kokichi’s antics, turning around in the stairwell and beginning to walk back to the kitchen. kokichi is left looking after him for a moment, eyes narrowed, and though he doesn’t know it, he’s joined in that action by rantaro and kaede, none of them quite knowing what kiyo is planning.

 

he pauses outside the kitchen, where kirumi can be heard cleaning, and runs his fingers through his hair once, letting a few strands settle over his face, and carefully uses the pad of his bandaged thumb to scrub away under his eyes, slowly wiping off a layer of makeup and revealing dark circles there. ( dark enough that kaede’s initial reaction, after the confusion, is just concern. )

 

and with that, he heads in.

 

‘ kirumi, ‘ he starts, voice a gentle rasp as ever, though now sounding somewhat troubled. ‘ may i speak with you? ‘

 

‘ hello, korekiyo, ‘ she says, drying off a pan. ‘ would you mind if i finished cleaning up after breakfast first, or is this a more pressing matter? ‘

 

kiyo grips his upper arms, but nods. ‘ please, feel free to continue about your duties. ‘

 

‘ thank you, ‘ she says, refocusing as kiyo takes a seat by the counter, eyes tracing her movements as she works.

 

‘ miss kirumi would make a wonderful friend, ‘ _sister_ almost sings, caressing kiyo’s face. ‘ she is certainly of good enough character. and we thought so even before learning her motive. prime minister . . . her life itself is worth enough to millions. ‘ kiyo doesn’t answer, but something becomes a little bit more genuine in the troubled expression he wears.

 

‘ how may i help you, kiyo? ‘ kirumi asks, turning to face him, her fingers interlaced.

 

he stands up, the movement a little less elegant than usual, wavering just a tiny bit, his fingers having to grasp the counter for support, and leans forwards so he only has to speak in the barest whisper. ‘ one of the monokubs told me what your motive was. ‘

 

something flashes across kirumi’s face - surprise, maybe? does she think this is an accusation? - before it resettles. ‘ i see. is that all? ‘

 

kiyo shakes his head, and draws back, fingers digging into his shoulders. ‘ no. you see . . . ‘ he hesitates. ‘ i was not fully truthful, at breakfast. i also viewed my own motive video. ‘

 

‘ and what is your point? ‘ kirumi asks, voice losing just a tiny bit of her usual decorum, almost snapping at him. he looks down and away from her.

 

‘ my motive was my sister. i have . . . mentioned her a few times before, yes? ‘

 

‘ i believe so, yes. she seems very important to you, ‘ kirumi says a little stiffly, it’s clear there’s something in her eyes saying _but she can’t be as important as an entire nation, can she._

 

‘ she is. she is . . . everything to me, ‘ kiyo says, and his arms fall limp at his sides, eyes unfocused, looking at the counter. ‘ however . . . the motive video - ‘ he takes in a shuddering breath, runs a hand through his hair. ‘ it doesn’t matter to me. because sister is - she is. ‘ he holds himself again, composes himself. ‘ sister died three years ago. in watching my motive video, i remembered that. ‘

 

‘ i see, ‘ kirumi says, her expressionunreadable. ‘ that is unfortunate. but i do not understand why you are telling this to me. ‘

 

‘ i study humans, kirumi, ‘ he says, voice soft and lilting, eyes studying her face. ‘ it is not a hard conclusion for me to come to that you are planning to kill someone because of your motive. ‘ he tips his head in her direction as her expression hardens, just a little. ‘ this is not an accusation. rather . . . i am volunteering. ‘

 

kaede gasps at that, at the same time as rantaro exclaims‘ _that’s_ your plan? are you crazy, kiyo? ‘ summarizing fairly well her own thoughts on the matter. kiyo, where he is standing, does not react.

 

‘ . . . why should i believe you? ‘ kirumi asks, but kaede can see something like hope returning to her eyes.

 

kiyo hesitates, holding himself once again. ‘ i would cite my civic duty, but that could all too easily be a lie. so, perhaps a more concrete explanation - ‘ and he rolls up his sleeves, unwinding the bandages on one arm and leaving his hand bare, as well as his forearm, revealing skin set deep with uneven valleys of scar tissue. ‘ my memories for when i left these were . . . fuzzy, before mymotive video. but . . . if it is a more practical answer you require, i have no desire to live when _she_ does not. ‘

 

kirumi’s face softens in something like understanding, and with permission, she takes his wrist with delicate fingers, pushing up his sleeve a lttle further. ‘ some of these are fresh, ‘ she notes, voice carefully free of judgement or tone, and he hisses at the drag of cloth on skin.

 

‘ yes, ‘ he replies, just as tonelessly.

 

‘ would you like for me to clean them? ‘ she asks, the maid in her taking over. ‘ as they are now, even with your arms bandaged, there is the possibility of infection. ‘

 

his smile is humorless. ‘ i doubt it will matter, very soon. ‘

 

she nods. ‘ . . . indeed. ‘ something in her body language shifts, and she continues to look at him, before her mouth presses into a line, making a decision. ‘ after night-time tonight, would you do me the favor of meeting me inmy talent lab? ‘

 

he bows, slightly, beginning to wrap his arm again. ‘ it would be my pleasure, miss kirumi. ‘

 

she nods and begins to turn around before pausing, something in her eyes almost like pity. ‘ . . . is there any request you have for dinner tonight? i feel it is the least i can do. ‘

 

he shakes his head. ‘ no. anything you prepare is always delicious enough. ‘

 

with that, she takes a neat little curtsy, and they both turn, going along their own ways for the rest of the day.

 

rantaro steps in front of kiyo as soon as they get to an isolated part of the dorms. ‘ are you _insane,_ kiyo? you’re just going to let her kill you? ‘

 

‘ no, ‘ kiyo says curtly. ‘ that is just the first step of the plan. i need to stop in my room before i exact the next phase. ‘ with that, he steps directly _through_ rantaro and heads into his room,kaede’s question of _are you okay_ dying on her lips as the door shuts behind him. 

 

all she can do is shoot a despairing look at rantaro, who just shrugs, equally clueless, eying the door to kiyo’s room with something a little sad in his eyes.

 

when kiyo steps back out of his room, he’s wearing his zippered mask, a fresh layer of makeup under his eyes, and a newly-focused resolve, yellow eyes set as he begins to leave the dorms. ‘ our next step is to speak with maki, ‘ he explains softly, kaede and rantaro following him. ‘ if . . . all goes well, she will be our ally in this, albeit a reluctant one. ‘

 

‘ what do you mean by that? ‘ rantaro asks, slowly.

 

‘ you will see, ‘ kiyo answers, and begins making the trek to maki’s lab.

 

when the three of them ( and to all outward appearances, just the one of them ) arrive there, kaito is attempting to speak with her again, leaning against the wall and throwing out some elaborate, exaggerated story kaede can’t possibly believe is all true. he straightens suddenly, almost overcompensating and tripping over his own feet when he sees kiyo approach. ‘ oh! hey kiyo, uh, what’s up? ‘

 

kiyo bows his head in polite greetings. ‘ hello, kaito. ‘ he turns his focus to maki. ‘ maki. may i speak with you briefly? ‘

 

‘ no, ‘ she says, curtly and to the point, her arms crossing.

 

‘ ah, ‘ he says, voice disappointed. ‘ i merely had a question surrounding the group in charge of the orphanage you led. _shita-kiri suzume_ has always been one of my favorite tales, so a group named after it admittedly drew my interest. ‘

 

maki’s eyes widen, almost imperceptibly. if kaede hadn’t been looking for it, she wouldn’t have seen the change. her expression turns stormy and she points to kaito. ‘ leave. ‘

 

‘ wait, what? ‘

 

‘ i said leave, ‘ she says, her voice allowing no room for negotiation. he holds his hands up in surrender.

 

‘ jeez, alright, i’m going! see you round, maki, kiyo, ‘ he says, trying to hide the slight disturbance in his expression with a jaunty little wave. as soon as he rounds the corner, maki turns back towards kiyo, a dark aura practically raising around her.

 

‘ shall we enter your lab? ‘ kiyo asks, voice still calm. ‘ i know what you’re trying to hide within it. ‘

 

she stares him down for a long moment before turning and opening the door, eyes stony as he steps in before shutting it behind both of them. kaede and rantaro follow, kaede gasping as she looks around the room - guns, moving targets, disguises, mysterious black cases, knives . . . it looked above and beyond what she might have expected the ultimate assassin’s lab to resemble.

 

kiyo reaches into his jacket and pulls out a monopad, turning it on to reveal her name and talent.

 

 _back by popular demand, the motive video! and now, maki harukawa, the ultimate assassin._ is as far as he lets it go before shutting it back off again and tucking it into his jacket again. ‘ i have a favor to ask of you, ‘ he says, voice even to the point of almost being polite.

 

‘ what do you want? ‘ she asks, voice frosty. kaede has to admire kiyo’s resolve, blackmailing an assassin in a room full of weapons.

 

‘ tonight, kirumi is going to try and kill me, ‘ he says, simply. ‘ i want you to be a witness to enough of this to back up my statement on what she was trying to do, and then help me apprehend her. not kill her, simply knock her out and thenrestrain her, so we as a group candiscuss what to do. her motive video showed that she was working for the prime minister, and he relied on her to such an extent she became the prime minister de facto herself. as such, she is willing to do whatever it takes to get out of here. i thought it best we apprehend her before she does kill someone. given her impressive range of talents, i have no doubt shewould be capable of pulling off a nigh-perfect crime.‘

 

‘ why should i help you? ‘ she asks, arms crossed. ‘ if i just let her kill you, that solves my problem. ‘

 

he holds up one finger gently. ‘ because. let us say you do let her kill me. if so, either you ignore the situation altogether, or you apprehend kirumi _after_ she has already killed me. let’s say it’s the latter. someone else is working with me. with you and them both observing my body, the body discovery announcement will sound, and the investigation will begin immediately. even if you do remove your monopad from my body, your secret will still be revealed. ‘

 

‘ how? your witness? ‘

 

‘ perhaps, ‘ he says, tilting his head. ‘ though it’s likely they might not trust their testimony. no, i am relying on our classmates’ innate curiousity. ‘

 

with that said, he reaches for his mask and pulls it down, and kaede can’t help but stare.

 

across the lower half of his face, kiyo has written, in bold black letters, _MAKI HARUKAWA IS THE ULTIMATE ASSASSIN_ , arching around his mouth. after giving maki and both the ghosts time to see what he has done, he pulls the mask back up. ‘ do you really think our classmates will be able to resist seeing what’s under my mask, after all the time i keep it on? they will check, and you will be outed one way or another. if you _avoid_ the situation altogether, you’ll have to make a decision as to whether or not you want kirumi to get away with it. should you remain silent, she might. and if you don’t, you will have to mention this conversation, and the question will then arise as to why you did nothing. ‘

 

maki’s face is stormy as she stares at him, silent. kiyo plucks the monopad from out of his jacket and extends it towards her. ‘ here. in good faith. i will be meeting kirumi in her lab after the night-time announcement. ‘ she takes it from him wordlessly. ‘ thank you for your help, miss harukawa, ‘ he says with a slight bow, and heads out of her lab, slipping out and closing the door behind him.

 

kaede can’t see maki, but she can almost _feel_ her eyes still boring into kiyo’s back, even as they head back towards the dorms.


	11. Chapter 11

‘ so, what’s my motive? ‘ miu asks, dangling the kubspad ( 2.0, new and improved, with ryoma’s edited motive on it ) in front of kiyo with two fingers.

 

kiyo raises an eyebrow simply. ‘ for working with us? i assumed the motivation of survival was enough, certainly . . . ‘

 

she makes an impatient noise in the back of her throat. ‘ no, gimphead. the videos. what’s my motive? ‘ she snaps back her hand, tucking the pad tight to her chest, cradling it there. ‘ i won’t give you this till you tell me. ‘

 

kiyo sighs, and kaede can see a sharp sort of impatience in his eyes as he rubs them, just there in a flash and then gone, countenance eerily smooth. it seems to be a talent he and his sister both share, that cloaking of emotion. ‘ we will be sharing all of the motive videos once _this_ plan carries through to fruition. yours will be included amongst them. why share it before then? ‘

 

‘ cause i wanna know, ‘ she says, jutting her chin up in something meant to be bravado, but she cowers back almost immediately when kiyo levels a glare at her. ‘ i’m j-just curious! chill out! here, i’ll give you it! ‘ she thrusts ryoma’s modified kubs pad into kiyo’s hands, and he tucks it into his jacket in one smooth motion, eyes still focused on her.

 

‘ you know, ‘ kaede muses, ‘ you and miu are kinda alike, i think. ‘

 

the offended look he can’t help but shoot her makes her snort, and she crosses her arms. ‘ it’s true! ‘ kiyo clearly can’t argue back with her, or risk looking like he’s lost his mind, so she takes the opportunity to expound on what she means. ‘ both of you . . . you’re both very smart, right? but you’re kinda . . . in your own little worlds because of it. ‘ she gestures widely. ‘ even if you’re super smart, you’re both kinda bad with just . . . talking to people. you throw them off at first. but . . . i’ve gotten to know you both, and you’re not that bad. you’re good people to know. ‘

 

she shifts her eyes to look at miu, giving her a gentle reassuring smile - one that she knows goes wasted, because miu can’t see it, but one that she hopes miu somehow _feels,_ anyway. ‘ and . . . i feel like you both _want_ to have friends and so on, but it just doesn’t work out, so you’ve kinda . . . like, you know how you said you’re going to be seen as unnerving no matter what, so you might as well do it intentionally? i think . . . maybe with miu’s weird . . . ‘ she gestures, not quite sure of the wording for it. ‘ . . . stuff? it’s kinda the same. ‘

 

something softens in his gaze, just a little. something almost like . . . pity?

 

‘ i won’t show you your video yet, ‘ he tells her, voice more gentle than before, ‘ but i can tell you what it showed. it was those benefitted by your inventions. people who genuinely relied on your intelligence, and remarking as much. ‘ he tips his head in her direction for a moment. ‘ which is . . . a commendable motive, i must say. ‘

 

miu looks completely taken aback for a moment, blinking rapidly and hands drawn back to her chest. it’s always a little surprising to kaede that miu manages to come off as . . . what, meek? sometimes. she swallows, overcomes it, and rests her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest.

 

‘ well, of course they need me! ‘ her voice rings out with a bold sort of pride. ‘ this big beautiful brain of mine’s gonna change the world one day, and don’t you forget it, you kinky beanpole! ‘

 

‘ no doubt, ‘ kiyo replies. this time . . . it seems like he’s just trying to take her insults in stride, rather than let himself give into the irritation that comes with them. ‘ thank you again for your help, miu. we will need it again when the time comes to actually display the videos. ‘

 

miu huffs, as though he’s resting a huge burden on her, and examines her fingernails. ‘ always need somethin’, huh? don’t worry, i got that shit figured out already. piece of cake for a girl genius like me. ‘ she hesitates, her eyebrows drawing together. ‘ and, uh . . . ‘ she looks away, picks at her nails. ‘ you and kokichi . . . uh, good luck. i hope this shit all works out for you. ‘

 

unexpectedly genuine, for her.

 

she’s over it in a second, laughing once, a sharp obnoxious bark of a thing, hands on her hips again. ‘ cause i don’t wanna have wasted all my precious time for nothin’, ya know! if this all fucks up, it’s your ass on the line, kiyo! ‘ she looks him over critically, folding her arms. ‘ though there’s not a whole lot there. line would be the right way to describe it, eh? ‘ she makes a crude gesture. ‘ does that mean you end up bein’ the one giving a lot because you’ve got nothing to receive with? i’m sure most guys’d want a better view from - ‘

 

‘ good _bye,_ miu, ‘ kiyo says, and even though his face is masked, kaede thinks she might hear his teeth grind together as he turns, hair sweeping dramatically behind him, and stalks off.

 

‘ okay, ‘ she says, as soon as they’ve rounded the corner, ‘ i admit that _maybe_ she can be a little abrasive. ‘

 

‘ a little, ‘ kiyo says, voice dry as the saihara. ‘ you don’t say. ‘

 

‘ i just _did_ say, ‘ kaede points out. ‘ so . . . that’s that handled, at least. you ready for tonight? ‘

 

‘ not . . . particularly, ‘ kiyo says, continuing to stride forwards. ‘ but it must be done. ‘

 

‘ well, you could just . . . not go, ‘ kaede points out.

 

kiyo holds one finger in the air, eyes closing in a way that kaede is beginning to recognize as signalling the beginning of an anthropology lecture. ‘ there is one quote from the talmud that i believe applies well to this situation. translated, it means more or less . . . ‘ his arms wrap around himself as he quotes, voice turned high and reedy with his bone-deep love for the subject. ‘’ _you are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it._ ‘ similarly, perhaps i might die before the killing game ends, but i have taken this on as my responsibility, and thus . . . i am not free to abandon it. ‘

 

kaede considers that. _not obligated to complete the work, not free to abandon it._ she wonders if that’s how the others - if that’s how shuichi - think about her and her wish, after her execution. in the way she asked shuichi to let it live on in him. did he feel that, now? that he had a responsibility to continue the work?

 

‘ it’s a good quote, ‘ she says thoughtfully.

 

he tips his head. ‘ indeed. ‘

 

that had been two hours ago.

 

‘ i know where i’ll be, ‘ kokichi says, tapping his chin, ‘ but are you really sure you’re gonna trust maki and kirumi like this? you’re expecting the second-biggest liar here and the person trying to kill you to keep their word. ‘

 

‘ i . . . hm. ‘ kiyo says, cupping his own chin thoughtfully. ‘ it is not, per se, that i have faith in them; rather, i have faith in my own analyses of them both. does that suffice as an answer? you have your own observations about the way each of us operates, do you not? what are the odds of kirumi or maki acting in a way other than expected? ‘

 

kokichi rests his hands behind his head. ‘ i think . . . you have to remember to give kirumi as much credit as possible. she’s probably as smart as you. if not smarter! ‘ he hides a grin behind one hand, lazily. ‘ ooops. no offense. ‘

 

kiyo lets the insult pass him by. ‘ none taken. her intelligence is wide-spreading, in a variety of areas. by nature, i am a specialist. there are several things she could do or adapt to do that i could not. ‘

 

kokichi shrugs, and from what kaede can see, he looks . . . careless. ‘ so long as you know, y’know? ‘

 

but kiyo can apparently pick up on something she can’t, because his head tips to the side ( so much like a bird. kiyo tended to give off an air of something not-quite-human sometimes, be it snake or bird or cat, in the way he walked and spoke and held himself, in the glow in his yellow eyes. ) and he places a finger over where his mouth might be. ‘ you are bothered by something. ‘

 

‘ i don’t know what you mean, ‘ kokichi says easily.

 

‘ is it that i did not tell you about the specifications of my plan before i decided to start putting it in action? my apologies, then, ‘ he says, with a graceful tip of his head.

 

‘ how am i supposed to trust you like this, kiyo? ‘ kokichi says, and his voice sounds childish, mockingly challenging, as ever, but there’s something like genuine anger there for a second in his eyes.

 

it’s not a _huge_ surprise for kaede, finding out kokichi has trust issues.

 

‘ i do apologize for not telling you earlier. but i had to make sure my gamble both with kirumi and maki had a chance, at least, of paying off. and thus . . . i only told you once i had tested the waters. ‘ he holds himself, fingers gripping tight at the fabric of his jacket where it bunches right above his slim hips.

 

‘ there’s something else, ‘ kokichi challenges. ‘ you only do that when you’re thrown off a little bit. ‘

 

‘ . . . as ever, your observations are are quite astute, ‘ kiyo says after a pause, looking away and tipping his head just so, so his hair and the shadow from his hat cloaked his eyes. ‘ you . . would not be wrong. ‘ he’s silent for a moment, and presses the flat of his palm with a gentle sort of reverence against his own heart. ‘ _she . . ._ does not trust you, i’m afraid. and as such . . . it is necessary for me to reserve my own, as well. ‘

 

for a second, kaede thinks she can _see_ sister, her silver aura smiling straight through kiyo’s mask.

 

‘ wooow, ‘ kokichi lets out, a long exhale of a thing, a mockery of seeming impressed. ‘ i knew you had a complex, kiyo, but this is a bit much, don’tcha think? ‘

 

‘ i do _not -_ ‘ kiyo starts, and then his mask is tugged down by fingers no longer his own, thin red-lipped smile gracing his face. it’s sister, smiling angelically at sister. ‘ you seem to have a fixation on the idea that my brother has a complex, dear kokichi. are you sure that you yourself don’t have that sort of interest? ‘

 

kokichi’s expression turns that eerie sort of blank, his mouth pressed into a clean line, before his head tips a degree to the side, turning into an inquisitive look almost childish in its composition. ‘ ovid, wasn’t it? ‘

 

sister seems taken aback by that for a second. ‘ what? ‘

 

‘ you quoted something the other day, right? wasn’t that ovid? ‘ he taps his chin. ‘ _we do not know yet what is permitted, and we consider all things permitted, and follow the example of the great gods._ that’s the story of byblis and caunus. ‘ he settles his hands behind his head. ‘ are rantaro and kaede still there? ‘

 

kiyo’s fingers are hesitant, pulling his mask back up, and his voice wound tight. ‘ please, kokichi. don’t . . . don’t. ‘

 

‘ you didn’t answer my queeeestion, ‘ kokichi says, a sing-song sort of voice.

 

he deflates. ‘ kaede is here, yes. rantaro . . . is not. ‘

 

‘ oh well! ‘ kokichi says, brightly. ‘ she can probably tell him. ‘

 

kiyo reaches out suddenly, rests a hand on kokichi’s shoulder. not as though he’s trying to reassure or make contact, like you might commonly touch someone’s shoulder for, but heavily, as though he’s desperate. as though his weight is leaning on kokichi. like he’s the only thing keeping him upright. kokichi just raises an eyebrow, slowly. even though kiyo is a solid foot taller than kokichi, kaede gets the sense that kokichi’s looking down on him.

 

‘ please, ‘ kiyo says. ‘ not now. at least . . . at least wait until after the confrontation. ‘

 

kaede’s eyes widen marginally. is kiyo . . . _afraid_ of kokichi, now?

 

no, she realizes, it’s of whatever it was kokichi figured out.

 

she’s not so sure she wants to know.

 

kokichi is expressionless for one beat, two, three. ‘ so you’ll tell me next time? ‘ he asks, his voice eerily calm. ‘ and _not_ after the fact? ‘ his hands rest behind his head again. ‘ maybe i won’t have to tell anyone at all. ‘

 

funnily enough, after a bit of silence, korekiyo starts _laughing._

 

. . . no, it’s not kiyo. it’s sister, her red lips parted, teeth bared. ‘ oh, ouma, you _are_ cruel, aren’t you? ‘ she purrs. ‘ but . . . what if i just tell them myself, hm? i have no aversion to it. ‘

 

kokichi grins, all of a sudden, and kaede feels _lost_ in the ebb and flow of this conversation. ‘ ohhh, so that’s how it is, huh? you _want_ people to know, don’t you. ‘

 

kiyo looks physically ill as he tugs his mask back up, slowly, as though his fingers are too weak to hold it. ‘ please, kokichi. ‘

 

kokichi looks bored all over again, letting out a wide yawn. ‘ eh, i’m bored now anyway. guess i won’t tell. ‘

 

‘ kiyo . . . ‘ kaede starts, slowly. ‘ tell us what?‘

 

‘ please, kaede, ‘ he murmurs softly, ‘ it’s not important. not now. please. ‘

 

it feels wrong, seeing him this shaken. and close to . . . if kaede’s picking up on the signs right, the trembling through his whole body and the thin sheen of sweat to his face, he’s close outright to just _panicking._ she steps forwards and rests an incorporeal hand on his shoulder. ‘ hey, kiyo. it’s alright. i don’t need to know. are you alright? ‘

 

he gives no inclination that he’s heard her, head bowing ever so slightly.

 

kaede lets go, but still . . . she worries.

 

that had been one hour ago.

 

and now it’s dinner. kirumi sets a plate down in front of kiyo with even more tenderness than she typically applies, catching his eyes for a moment as she does, and he, seemingly composed once again, just tips his head in a little acknowledgement before gracefully cutting into his food. kokichi is picking apart . . . it seems like he’d ordered _just_ dessert for dinner, in bite-sized pieces that he tosses up almost to the ceiling before catching in his mouth. one misses _spectacularly,_ sticking his hair together with whipped cream, and he squirms in place, whining, as kirumi patiently washes it out with a damp cloth. 

 

kaede had told rantaro about the odd confrontation between kokichi and sister earlier, and both of them are watching now as kiyo - somewhat pointlessly, given the mask - dabs at the area around his mouth with a napkin. she wonders if it’s a gesture of habit, or if he’s just being somewhat facetious. ‘ thank you for the meal, kirumi. as ever, it was delicious. ‘

 

‘ of course, ‘ she says, with a pristine smile as she refills drinks, takes orders for dessert. everything she does is with so much care. _selfless devotion._

 

had kaede not been there herself to witness it, she would never have believed kirumi capable of planning to murder someone.

 

kiyo stands, stretches, and dismisses himself with a little bow. ‘ thank you once again. i will take some time to study in the library before retiring for the night, if anyone needs me. ‘ with that, he turns and heads there, steps easy and length long, no tension to his stride. it’s almost admirable.

 

‘ aren’t you afraid of dying at all? ‘ rantaro asks him curiously, hands resting in his pockets as they follow him.

 

kiyo tips his head in his direction, pulling down a few books from the shelves decisively. ‘ well. you would know - _should_ i be? ‘

 

rantaro considers that. ‘ guess you’ve got a point, huh? it’s . . . well, it can hurt. ‘

 

‘ _kehehe._ i am well aware, ‘ he says, voice rife with amusement. ‘ i _have_ died before. ‘ they both blink at him, nonplussed. he takes his place in one of the library chairs, legs crossed. ‘ clearly, though, it did not take. i suppose it is . . . more true to say that i have danced along the edge of the void. ‘

 

‘ you know, i worry about you sometimes, kiyo, ‘ rantaro says, light and teasing as he perches on one of the arms of the chair kiyo sits on.

 

‘ that is very sweet of you, ‘ kiyo says with a soft laugh. ‘ however . . . i would ask that you trust me to survive this. ‘

 

‘ are you really going to sit here and read until the nighttime announcement? ‘ kaede asks, looking at the clock.

 

‘ why shouldn’t i? ‘ kiyo murmurs, already half-wrapped in whatever he was reading. kaede cranes her head to read the title. _metamorpheses._ ‘ on the off chance that these are some of my last moments, i would like to spend them doing what i enjoy. ‘

 

‘ he has a point, ‘ murmurs rantaro. ‘ what would you have done, if you knew you were about to die, kaede? ‘

 

she’s taken aback by the question, but takes a few minutes to consider it. ‘ i . . . i don’t know. maybe play that song for shuichi. though . . . i guess i got the chance to, now. what about you? ‘

 

he crosses his arms with a huff. ‘ well, i like to think i would’ve made my last words a little more inspiring than ‘i’ll be right back, i just need to use the bathroom’. other than that . . . ‘ kaede can’t help it, she suppresses a giggle behind her fingers.

 

before they know it, the nighttime announcement is ringing out. kaede doesn’t think it’s just her, but the monokubs seem to be glancing between each other nervously. maybe it’s because the motives haven’t been distributed yet. they should be, by tomorrow morning. kiyo shuts his book with delicate fingers, places it carefully back on the shelf.

 

‘ well, ‘ he announces to a room that seems empty to anyone but him, ‘ i believe i have an appointment to keep. ‘

 

they don’t meet with anyone on the way over.

 

well, that’s not quite true. _kiyo_ doesn’t meet with anyone. rantaro, on the other hand, walks straight through the walls that kiyo circumnavigates via the hallways, and in one room kiyo doesn’t pass through, were he not dead, he thinks he might’ve had a heart attack. maki stands there, cloaked almost completely in the shadows.

 

‘ well, ‘ he tells kaede, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end as he rejoins her and kiyo, ‘ maki seems to be in place at least. ‘

 

‘ that’s . . . good, ‘ she says, not quite sure if it was, herself. it was good their reinforcements were there, but what dubious backup it was.

 

kiyo raps his knuckles softly on the door. ‘ kirumi? it’s me. ‘ it swings open, and he steps in, the door shutting behind him, kaede and rantaro just stepping _through_ it. ‘ ah, kirumi, ‘ he says, softly, in greeting. ‘ are you prepared? ‘

 

‘ i believe so, yes, ‘ kirumi says. ‘ there are several materials in here that are usable. ‘

 

‘ what do you plan on doing to cover the evidence? ‘ kiyo asks, tipping his head to the side with a finger on his chin. as though he were _curious,_ rather than afraid. ‘ if my body is in your lab, it would clearly mark you as the killer, would it not? and if you did killme here, there is always the chance there will be some remainder. ‘

 

‘ you raise a good point, ‘ she says, finger folded against her chin. ‘ i was considering using the magic show angie and himiko were planning, in some way. ‘

 

‘ to try and frame himiko for the crime? ‘ kiyo asks. ‘ a good idea, but . . . too simple, i would say. if himiko had indeed done it, she wouldn’t take the risk of disposing of me at her own magic show. that would make her too obviously a culprit. that’s something i believe shuichi and kokichi, at the very least, will immediately see through. ‘

 

‘ a good point, ‘ kirumi hums. ‘ but it would be hard to trace it to _me. ‘_

 

‘ i have . . . an easier plan, ‘ kiyo says. ‘ though it is admittedly a dark one. ‘

 

kirumi gestures, an elegant little flick of her wrist, inclining for him to continue.

 

‘ what’s the plan? ‘ kaede asks, hissed in a whisper even though it has no need to be. she _knows_ the bare bones of the plan, of course, but when is maki going to come in? where is kokichi? how far is this going to go?

 

she doesn’t know why she bothered asking. it’s not like kiyo can answer.

 

kiyo extends his arms, palms up, to face kirumi. ‘ you have access to kitchen implements in here, yes? ‘ she nods her assent. he draws a line straight down his arm, the base of his palm to the crook of his elbow, with one delicate, cloth-covered finger. ‘ we return to my room. in the bathroom there, make the incision. i can leave a note. leave the blade within or near my hands. given that most here don’t know much about me, and the previous scar tissue, it would be an obvious conclusion to draw. ‘

 

kaede stares at him.

 

‘ are you really willing to go that far? ‘ kirumi asks, eyes drawn in seeming concern. ‘ why? ‘

 

‘ i have committed myself, ‘ kiyo responds, shrugging once. ‘ i am not of the sort to easily break out of a promise. it has been . . . used against me in the past, i will admit.‘

 

kirumi rests a hand on his shoulder, gently. ‘ thank you, ‘ she says, and kaede can feel the relief deep in her voice. ‘ i . . . will do what i can to remember your service to the country, when i am free again. ‘

 

‘ you are, as ever, diligent, ‘ kiyo muses. ‘ shall we? ‘ he extends a graceful hand to her, as if asking her to a dance. kaede, in an inane sort of way, wishes she could see that. the two of them both have such an elegance to the way they move, them dancing would really be a sight to see.

 

she takes his hand. ‘ let us proceed. ‘

 

‘ when is maki going to interfere? ‘ kaede asks, worried.

 

‘ i don’t know, ‘ rantaro says. ‘ let’s . . . see if she’s around. ‘

 

kirumi and kiyo make their way towards kiyo’s room, slipping in and out of the shadows seemingly as easily as maki does. kaede supposes that makes sense. an anthropologist, according to kiyo, is supposed to be a silent observer, after all, and kirumi needs to be able to operate behind the scenes.

 

shuichi and kaito are doing . . . something? outside. kaede catches a glimpse of them through one of the windows. shuichi looks up as she and rantaro pass, blinking, and kaede hopes he caught a glimpse of kiyo and kirumi. but he’s going back to his push-ups and his conversation with kaito with no inclination that he saw anything out of the norm.

 

as they cross the grounds to the dorm, kirumi swats the back of her neck, frowning. ‘ . . . are there bugs out here? i thought that gonta stated there were none. ‘

 

‘ he did, ‘ kiyo says, blinking thoughtfully. ‘ however, his lab _did_ unlock recently. perhaps he released some of the specimens in there to give the school grounds a more . . . natural feel, or to give them more space to exist. ‘

 

‘ it is possible, ‘ kirumi acknowledges, and they’re headed into the dorms.

 

‘ where _is_ maki? ‘ kaede asks, beginning to feel a little frantic as kiyo holds the door of his dorm open for kirumi. ‘ or kokichi, for that matter? where are they? ‘ she begins to pace back and forth. ‘ they’re supposed to be with us. are they still outside kirumi’s lab?? what if they are? is he - does that just mean that kiyo’s gonna die? ‘

 

‘ an interesting situation, is it not? ‘ _sister,_ floating out of kiyo’s form and encircling kirumi now in silver mist, her own thin fingers framing the maid’s face. ‘ i wonder how far indeed kirumi will go. i thought perhaps he might make her my friend, but it seems . . . the tables are very close to turning. ‘

 

‘ i’ll . . . run the water for you, ‘ kirumi says, with a tip of her head, and heads into the bathroom, the sound of water running soon emerging from within.

 

‘ then . . . i believe i have a note to write, ‘ kiyo remarks, with a deep-set calmness that _scares_ kaede. ‘ i must admit, it is . . . something i have considered before, but there was never someone in mind who would read it. ‘ his writing is beautiful, kaede has noticed before, and can’t help but notice now, even as he begins with the address of _my friends, first . . . i want to apologize for this._

 

the words come too quickly to him.

 

_my friends, first . . . i want to apologize for this._

 

_i know it must not be easy, especially given the deaths of those in our group earlier. but . . . i must admit a dishonesty on my part. i did see my own motive video. however . . . while it is true mine pushed me to take a life, it is no one else’s but my own. the one person i truly care about is gone. there is nothing for me, in the world out there._

 

_shuichi, i would like to thank you for being my friend and taking an interest in anthropology, however briefly. i wish you luck in your future endeavors in ending this game._

 

_kirumi, thank you for all your service. you are exemplary, and if we had made it out of here, i wish you could have been a friend for my sister._

 

_tenko, i admire your resolve._

 

_kokichi . . . you are troublesome, but i’ve begun to consider you a friend, even if you are a nuisance. i know some of your intentions are good. i will be cheering for you, as a ghost._

 

_ryoma - we have both lost those that we love. i hope you find more in your motive than i. please, though it might make me a hypocrite to ask this of you, live on with everyone else. we had more in common than you may have believed._

 

_miu, remember you are smarter than many here give you credit for. you will claim you don’t need the reassurance, but i offer it to you freely anyway. thank you for your help._

 

_the rest of you . . . i never became as close to you as i may have hoped, but i hope you know i consider you my friends nonetheless. please, escape this place._

 

_with my regrets,_

 

_korekiyo shinguji._

 

‘ are you prepared? ‘ kirumi asks, and kiyo nods.

 

‘ thank you for giving me the time to write this, ‘ he says.

 

‘ i have no right to deny you of that, ‘ kirumi says, placing a hand on her heart. ‘ though my actions might appear selfish, i . . . appreciate what you’re offering to do for me. and i was glad of your company, the days you chose to spend in my lab. ‘

 

‘ of course, ‘ kiyo responds. he shrugs off his jacket, begins unwrapping his bindings with efficient fingers, opening the bathroom door and rolling up his sleeves, turning his wrists up to face kirumi. for a moment, he looks almost vulnerable.

 

‘ do you want to take off your mask? ‘ kirumi asks.

 

kiyo huffs out a laugh, wryly, and kaede thinks about the words resting there, and wonders once again just where the _hell_ maki was. ‘ i think it would be for the best if i didn’t. please, any time you’re ready. ‘

 

‘ _no - !_ ‘ kaede cries out, and of instinct, tries to grab kirumi’s hands as they dip down towards kiyo’s skin - to no avail, as one could guess. the blade touches his skin, and a dull red line begins to draw out - and kirumi, suddenly, crumples forwards. kiyo blinks at this for a moment and then picks up some of the bandages from where they’ve fallen, beginning to wrap up the cut.

 

‘ it certainly took you long enough, ‘ he states mildly towards the doorway.

 

shrouded in darkness, maki harukawa steps forwards, and kaede can’t tell if she wants to kiss her or punch her more, right now.

 

‘ well, ‘ rantaro says, far too conversationally, ‘ i suppose that clears up that question, right? ‘

 

‘ that was _way_ too close! ‘ kaede exclaims. ‘ kiyo, what if maki _hadn’t_ just shown up? would you have just . . . let kirumi do it? ‘

 

‘ maybe, ‘ kiyo says with a little shrug as he stands up out of the water, gently rearranging kirumi so she’s lying on her back on the tile floor, careful to be gentle. ‘ what was the cause for her sudden unconsciousness, may i ask? ‘

 

‘ passing injection. it was something we used if it was to eliminate other assassins. latent until the victim smells blood. ‘ she crosses her arms. ‘ so where’s your witness? ‘

 

there’s a sudden shaking and rattling from above them, and maki and kiyo both look up to see kokichi grinning face sitting in the air vent above them, scraping something over the bars to get their attention.

 

maki’s eyes narrow. ‘ so _he_ was your witness. that’s why you mentioned people might not believe him. ‘

 

kiyo inclined a finger. ‘ indeed. kokichi . . . are you able to get out of there? ‘

 

kokichi . . . it looks like he _tries_ to shrug, but there’s not enough space, making him just do an awkward little wriggle inside the vent. ‘ probably, if i wanted to. i got the idea from kay-ay-day! ‘ fake tears suddenly well up in his eyes. ‘ and h-how she killed our poor rantaro!! ‘

 

‘ i had no idea he cared so much, ‘ rantaro says, resting a hand on his heart. ‘ i’m touched. ‘

 

‘ you aren’t funny, ‘ kaede says to him, sounding a little more snappish than she means to. kiyo shuts the toilet lid, standing on it to begin removing the grate and helping kokichi out of it, his white jacket stained almost grey from the dust that must have accumulated in the vent.

 

‘ did you bring what i asked? ‘ kiyo asks, and kokichi is suddenly swinging a pair of handcuffs around one finger. kiyo takes them, slipping them onto kirumi’s wrists and then pulling out . . . rope? from inside his jacket where it lies on the floor, beginning to bind her. ‘ i know it may seem like overkill, ‘ he explains to no one in particular, ‘ but the chances are likely that she would be able to escape one or the other. with both . . . the chances are reduced. ‘

 

‘ i’m leaving, ‘ maki announces coldly, turning her back on the group as she stalks out of the room.

 

kokichi waits until they hear the door to kiyo’s bedroom slamming shut, before pulling something out from behind his back - it’s a bright rainbow kubs pad. he pulls a sad expression. ‘ oh no! she left something behind, too. maybe i should go and tell her. ‘ it’s clear he has absolutely _zero_ intention of doing so.

 

‘ well, ‘ kiyo says. ‘ let’s begin our setup in the kitchen. the kubs pads . . . and kirumi both. ‘ he rests a thoughtful hand on the side of his face. ‘ it’s funny. i feel somewhat guilty for this manipulation, though it may have proven to be necessary in the long run. ‘

 

‘ don’t, ‘ kokichi says with a shrug. ‘ no one’s dying now. not yet, anyway. that’s the important thing. ‘

 

‘ _kehehe,_ ‘ kiyo laughs, and he spreads his arms slightly. ‘ yes . . . the swell of hope that rises from a brush with death, and the concept of escaping it. however . . . it is only human arrogance that leads one to think it can be escaped forever. ‘ he clutches his shoulders, voice turning into a hiss with excitement. ‘ the hubris in humanity can be so beautiful. we have prevented this possibility, yes, but how soon before we are faced with another potential disaster? ‘

 

‘ you know, ‘ kokichi says cheerfully, ‘ i’d say you must be fun at parties, but i’m pretty sure you never get invited to any. ‘

 

‘ an astute observation, ‘ kiyo says dryly, scooping kirumi’s form up with an impressive strength you wouldn’t think he’d have in his twiggy body. ‘ you are not incorrect. ‘

 

‘ i’m _never_ incorrect, ‘ kokichi drawls, sounding bored. ‘ oh well. this was sort of interesting, but now everything’s going to be boring all over again. ‘

 

‘ perhaps less so than you think, ‘ kiyo responds, careful on the stairs so as not to jostle the maid in his arms. ‘ we do still have the motive videos to contend with, after all. ‘

 

‘ i guess you’re right, ‘ kokichi says as the two of them round the corner, ‘ but - ‘ and they both - all of them, counting the ghosts - stop dead in their tracks. they haven’t been seen yet, but it seems inevitable, as shuichi and kaito, heading in from their exercises, turn towards the source of the noise.

 

‘ ah, ‘ kiyo says thoughtfully as the two boys’ eyes widen in horror, ‘ this may be a hard thing to explain. ‘

 

‘ what the _fuck_ are you two _doing?? ‘_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's to 1k readers and 30k words, bastards, rats, and gentlemen! please, please, if you like this story, comment, it's the only thing motivating me to write more. 
> 
> ( additionally - to any of you who read many of my stories, i'm now taking requests/suggestions! if you have anything you want to see, just drop a comment! )


	12. Chapter 12

it was set up like the most awkward intervention kaede had ever seen. shuichi and kaito sat at one side of the table, with kiyo and kokichi taking the other, kirumi now tied to one of the dining room chairs. of all of them, she ironically looked the most comfortable about this situation, head simply lolled to the side, eyes shut gracefully.

 

there are other guests in on the conversation, though shuichi andkaito wouldn’t knowas much. maki lurks in the shadows just outside the room; part of the deal _was_ that she wouldact as a witness, and miu iruma is huddled in the kitchen, awkwardly juggling an armful of tech she was going to use to set up the motive viewing for tomorrow. when she heard them all starting to come in, she had panicked and fled out of the mess hall, crouching behind the kitchen door. not to mention - rantaro leans casually against the wall, while kaede sits next to shuichi, resting her hand on top of his as though he can feel it, and _sister_ perches on the edge of the table, thin legs draped elegantly off the edge.

 

what _seemed_ like a private conversation might be far from it, really.

 

‘ she’s not dead, ‘ kaito says slowly ( he’d insisted on checking her pulse, multiple times ), ‘ but it . . . doesn’t look like she’s got any sort of head injury either. how did you knock her out? and - why? what the hell are you two doing? ‘

 

kiyo tips his head in acknowledgement of kaito’s statement, andis about to speak, whenshuichi raises his hand off the table slightly. ‘ actually . . . i think i might have a guess. kiyo, is it okay if i try and say what i understand? ‘

 

kiyo’s eyes match kaede’s for a moment,theboth of them blinking in mild surprise. it’s quickly masked, kiyo inclining one hand. ‘ please, shuichi, be my guest. ‘

 

shuichi frowns, and his hand reaches absently for the area over his forehead, as though he were trying to tug on the brim of his hat again. ‘ i think . . . and kokichi, kiyo, you can correct me if i’m wrong on this. but either . . . you found evidence to suggest kirumi was the mastermind, or she tried to commit a murder? ‘

 

‘ the mastermind? ‘ kaito exclaims, looking at shuichi. ‘ no, that can’t be right! not kirumi. right? ‘

 

‘ whether or not she is is not why we are here, ‘ kiyo says, folding slim fingers together neatly. ‘ shuichi, your second deduction was correct. ‘ he rests his chin on his fist. ‘ i have been observing you all for some time now, and i know . . . your mannerisms, your emotions, your way of expressing them. i have also seen the resolve to kill, and how it manifests. kirumi . . . she was planning a murder, and i became aware of the fact. in order to minimalize the damage, i . . . placed myself in such a position that she would consider me as her victim, and with the help of kokichi, along with a few others, we were able to stop her. ‘

 

‘ why should we believe you? ‘ kaito asks, jabbing a finger at kiyo. ‘ or kokichi? both of you have been pretty suspicious the whole time you’ve been here. ‘

 

‘ awww, kaito! don’t be _meannn,_ ‘ kokichi whines, crocodile tears welling up in his eyes. ‘ i’m only trying to help the group in my own kind of way! ‘

 

kiyo sighs. ‘ kokichi aside . . . i knew he might not be a reliable witness if he was the only one i could call upon to testify. kirumi may admit to some of this when she wakes tomorrow morning, she may not. but also in on our plan, or in some part aware of it, were maki and miu. ‘

 

‘ oh, and one more person! ‘ kokichi says, perking up, and tipping back on his chair until he’s teetering precariously on the back two legs of it, he grins, putting a finger to his mouth and turning a laser-focused stare on oneparticular member of their assembled group. ‘isn’t that right, shuichi? ‘

 

kaito turns to shuichi, eyes hunting for . . . something, in the detective’s face. ‘ shuichi, is this true? how much of this did you know? ‘

 

shuichi fiddles with his hands, picks at the ragged skin around his nails, and kaede imagines she can see his throat bob just a little bit as he swallows. ‘ i knew . . . some of it. kokichi told me a little bit when we were hanging out, but he didn’t really . . . elaborate onhow much ofit was true or not. but that is . . . part of the reason i wanted to train for so long tonight - i wanted to see if i could see any of this happening. ;

 

‘ kokichi _can_ be confusing sometimes, ‘ kaito concedes with a huff, rubbing the back of his head. ‘ so she just . . . tried to killyou? how the hell’d you knock her out? and why’s maki in on it? ‘

 

‘ she has her own reasons, which will be hers to share if she so pleases. and - yes. i acted as though i were cooperating with her, so as to extend the time we had. were i to struggle, she might consider acting first and then simply going the extra mile to conceal her crime afterwards, rather than planning it out beforehand. i figured this would be the easiest solution. ‘

 

‘ yeah, but . . . ‘ kaito gestures vaguely. ‘ couldn’t something have gone wrong? what if you died, or something like that? ‘

 

‘ _kehehehe._ of our little group here, i am . . . confident enough in acknowledging that i would be among the least missed. if it came down to it . . . i would not have any regrets, were it to be me rather than one of you, ‘ kiyo hums, holding onto his shoulders and sounding almost pleased. like things fit together neatly. like they made sense. kaede can see shuichi’s brow furrow, like he’s trying to piece together a difficult math problem. ‘ and i have little fear of death,at this point. i would simply be finally able to join the one i loved. ‘

 

 _sister_ rests her chinon kiyo’s head, her arms folded over his shoulders, and she smiles just a little bit when he says that. kaede swallows, with some difficulty. love could mean platonically, right? and he’d said his sister was very important to him. it probably went no deeper than that.

 

‘ sooooo, kaito, ‘ kokichi asks, leaning forwards over thetable, ‘ are you two gonna try and stop us or something? ‘

 

‘ i - ah, hell,‘ he says, leaning back andaway fromkokichi ever so slightly, lookingaway and rubbing the back of his head. ‘ this seems like a really underhanded way to do things. how am i supposed to know you’re tellin’ thefulltruth,anyway? i don’t . . . i don’t think i can agree with youknocking kirumi out, buti . . . feellike i can trust youwhenyousay you weren’t trying to kill anyone. ‘

 

kiyo tips hishead in affirmation. ‘ if nothing else, ‘ heposes,‘ _i_ have not told a lie to any of you. kokichi’s word is sometimes questionable, but i hope youcan value mine, at the very least. ‘

 

kaito looks himin theeyes for a long moment, shifting in his seat, before huffing out a breath. ‘ fine,i guess . . . we’re not gonna untie her or try andinterfere with any of . . . whatever the hellthis is. ‘ he pounds his fist into his opposite hand. ‘ but we’re gonna keep an eye onyou! we’ll stay down here until kirumi wakes back up. right,shuichi? ‘

 

shuichi winces ever so slightly, and kaede grimaces out of sympathy, seeing the sweat that plasters his hair to his forehead and turns his shirt nearly translucent - it looks like he’s wearing a tank top or something underneath too, which can’t be helping the heat. it must mean something other to rantaro than to her, as he’s looking at shuichi thoughtfully, one hand resting on his chin, before ducking under sister to murmur something into kiyo’s ear.

 

kiyo nods ever so slightly. ‘ . . . i have a proposition. both of you, and i mean this in no offense, stink from your recent workout. miu has, i believe, been eavesdropping on this conversation the entire time we’ve been here. the rest of the night is about . . . nine hours in length, yes? i suggest, if you are really worried about what we’re doing, that we break the night into shifts, and one witness can be with kokichi and i for each period, allowing all of you to get some rest. ‘

 

miu looks huffy as she stalks out of the kitchen, tossing a pile of technology onto the table with a dramatic gesture, like she’s throwing up her hands. ‘ you knew the whole fuckin’ time, freakiyo? why the fuck didn’t you say earlier then? g-d, now these assholes are gonna think i’m on _your_ level of creep or something. ‘ she crosses her arms in annoyance, tipping back in her chair. ‘ sup, fuckers. ‘

 

‘ miu, you - what? wait, now, hang on, ‘ kaito says, looking a little bit lost. ‘ why were you here? ‘

 

miu sweats slightly, shrinking down in her seat. ‘ i - i! it’s . . . nothing . . . nothing important. i was just, er . . . i got lost? on the way to . . . my room! yeah, that’s it. ‘

 

kokichi groans dramatically, resting his chin on the table. ‘ none of you would cut it in a secret organization. what boobs mckenzie over there is _trying_ to say is something we already told you, kaito. we already said piggy here’s working with us, remember? she just didn’t wanna get caught by you. smartest thought i think she’s ever had, though i guess it’s hard work when you’ve only got hot air, ‘ he drawls, looking at his nails.

 

in the background, miu mouths _piggy_ to herself, shoulders hunched up and head tipped back a little. kaede could swear there’s drool at the side of her mouth.

 

‘ kaito, since you’re the most suspicious, you can take the first shift. it will give us some time to answer any questions you have, ‘ kiyo outlines. ‘ shuichi can take the second, and miu the third, or vice versa. it does not truly matter to us. ‘

 

kaito sighs. ‘ yeah, i . . . guess i can do that. i might not trust either of you two that much, but it doesn’t feel like anything’s . . . _super_ off, right now. ‘ he turns to shuichi. ‘ hey, shuchi! you should get some sleep, sidekick. i’m gonna count on you to take over for me when i tap you in, alright? ‘

 

shuichi gives him a vaguely bemused, but fond, smile. ‘ oh - oh yeah. of course. good night, kaito. good night, kiyo, kokichi, miu. ‘ he begins to turn and walk out of the cafeteria, hiding a yawn behind one hand as he does, and miu weighs a gizmo from the pile in front of her, bouncing it in her palm for a moment, before tossing it down with the rest.

 

‘ well, if i don’t need to be here till later, i’m headin’ after him, fuckers, ‘ she announces to no one in particular, chair making a horrible squealing as she pushes it back from the table. ‘ i need my beauty sleep, after all. ‘ she tosses her hair behind her ear, and kaede can swear she puffs up, just a little bit, like a preening bird.

 

‘ oh, it’s _waaaay_ too late for that, ‘ kokichi says in a bored tone of voice.

 

‘ ah, kokichi, ‘ kiyo says, hand darting to his mouth for a moment. ‘ would you mind if i talked to kaito for a bit? alone? i have something . . . a little more personal i want to ask him about. ‘ kaito blanches, opening his mouth - probably to protest, given his expression - but kokichi immediately perks up.

 

‘ of course, henchman! ‘

 

kaede can’t tell if kiyo looks more confused or offended, right now, but she can’t help but burst out laughing at what she can see of his expression, holding her stomach as she almost doubles over, the silence stretching on for two beats as she and rantaro both try and hold in their laughter.

 

‘ . . . henchman? ‘ kiyo asks, voice sounding as though he’d just bitten into a lemon.

 

kokichi grins at him. ‘ of course! if kaito’s the big hero over here and he’s got his sidekicks, it’s only fair that i, as the evil villain, get to have henchmen, right? riiiiight? ‘

 

kiyo rests his head in his hands, hair falling over the sides of his face, and kaede could _swear_ she hears him scream, muffled into his mask and his hands. nearly getting killed didn’t seem to phase him in the least, but this . . . this seems like it’s defeated him entirely. ‘ . . . please, kokichi, ‘ he says, eventually, almost pleading.

 

‘ okaaay! ‘ he says, in a sing-song sort of voice. ‘ wake me up when you’re getting my beloved shuichi for his turn, alright? i think i wanna get some sleep, too. ‘ he feigns a massive, dramatic yawn. ‘ it’s getting past my bedtime anyway. niiiight, you two! don’t do anything i wouldn’t do! ‘ with that, called out over one shoulder, he saunters out of the room. rantaro hesitates for a moment, and then begins to follow after him.

 

‘ where are you going? ‘ kaede asks, blinking at him.

 

‘ i don’t think he’s really going to sleep, ‘ rantaro says, stopping halfway to the door to answer her. ‘ i’m just seeing if he’s going to do anything in particular, that’s all. ‘ he gives her a half-smile, short and reassuring, before walking through the wall after the way the others had left.

 

kiyo looks out the door until it seems he’s sure kokichi - and, though kaito wouldn’t know it, rantaro - were gone before turning back to kaito, folding his fingers together. his voice is . . . oddly gentle, when he speaks. ‘ i wanted to ask you something, kaito. ‘

 

kaito looks . . . troubled by this, but does his best to play it off, shrugging and resting his feet on the table. ‘ sure, go ahead. i’ve got nothing to hide. ‘

 

kiyo looks down towards the table, drifting one bandaged finger over patterns in the wood grain. ‘ my sister . . . she died, three years ago. ever since she was . . . well, ever since shortly after my own birth, so ever since she was eight or nine, she was in and out of the hospital for a disease that proved incurable. ‘ kaede can see kaito stiffen, ever so slightly, one hand curling into a fist on the table as he watches kiyo, listens to him speak. ‘ i visited her as often as i could. ‘

 

he sits back, looking down and away. ‘ so, in a way, i spent much of my own life in a hospital. until her organs finally failed, and i had . . . no reason to,anymore. i’ll never forget how she looked, acted, in the year or so leading up to her death. ‘

 

‘ what does this have to do with me? ‘ kaito asks, a tremor of unease running through his voice, one knee bouncing. agitation. restless energy. kaede feels that sometimes, but . . . it seems like he’s really,actually nervous.

 

kiyo just folds his hands together again, and there’s something almost like pity in hiseyes. ‘ i simply wanted to know . . . how long have _you_ been sick,kaito? ‘

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nnnhhhggg. i'm a thirsty little flower. you have to water me. you have to use your comments
> 
> ( speaking of, thanks to all who did in the previous chapter! sorry for this atrocious author's note sdfshj i love u guys )


	13. Chapter 13

kaito and kaede both look taken aback by that. ‘ sick? ‘ she asks, looking at kiyo. sister has her chin rested on his head, smile almost slightly ominous. she had eyes like a mad scientist might, as though she were about to wield a scalpel and some vial of ominous green liquid and say _fascinating._

 

kiyo, clearly, doesn’t answer her. she understands _why,_ of course, but – it gets frustrating, sometimes. she wants answers, rather than feeling like an eavesdropper all the time.

 

‘ what do you mean? ‘ kaito asks slowly, fingers curling under his palms. he’s not making eye contact with kiyo. ‘ i mean – hell, i guess i’ve had a bit of a cold for a few days, but . . . that’s not, ‘

 

‘ kaito. ‘ kiyo states, voice beginning to lose some of that padding of softness, of sympathy. ‘ the reason i told you about my sister, why i said that . . . it was to give you some kind of context. to let you know that you _cannot_ lie to me about this sort of thing. i know what i am speaking about. you’ve been having trouble eating, yes? it’s been harder to exercise at times, and perhaps you’ve even begun to cough or vomit blood. ‘

 

kaito looks . . . spooked. after a moment, he looks down and away, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘ yeah, ‘ he admits, voice a little rocky. ‘ i don’t . . . remember when it started. but it’s definitely been pretty bad the whole time we’ve been stuck in this place. it’s not so bad that i can’t do anything, though! i’ll get over it! ‘

 

kiyo’s brows pull together just a little, and his eyes look . . . sad, over the edge of his mask. he pulls off his hat, setting it gently on the table. ‘ you know it isn’t going to be that easy, don’t you? ‘ it’s not . . . condescending, or demanding, or exasperated. asked like he already knows the answer, in a quiet, sad sort of voice. like he’s stating a fact. you’ve known for awhile, right?

 

kaito doesn’t reply. his shoulders look . . . just a little tense.

 

back off, back off. kaede can read his body language easily. and . . . kiyo seems to be able to as well, because for a moment, he doesn’t push it, just letting kaito think, his fingers folded together.

 

‘ kaito, ‘ he says, finally. ‘ were we able to escape here, you would want to come with, yes? to . . . still be alive when that time comes? ‘ the bluntness of the question is surprising. but kaede supposes that is at the root of it all.

 

‘ sure, ‘ kaito says finally, hands spreading out. ‘ of course i do! of course i want to get out of here with everyone else! but . . . it’s more important to me that all of you get out, y’know? i’m not about to look weak or just sit back because i’m sick, you know? ‘

 

‘ kaito, ‘ kiyo says gently, ‘ you know . . . sickness isn’t weakness, right? you can take . . . you can allow yourself to make accommodations. you can allow yourself to need things. there’s no responsibility on you to be perfect, or to be completely well. ‘

 

‘ i don’t want to scare everyone, ‘ kaito says, rubbing his upper arm. ‘ there’s no need to make them feel concerned. ‘

 

kiyo breathes in, his chin tipping up just a little bit as he considers kaito where he sits in front of him. there’s nothing but silence in the cold dining hall between the two of them, and kaede slowly comes to sit next to kiyo, staring across the table at kaito, silently pleading at him to just . . . be willing to receive help.

 

kiyo’s eyes flick towards her and something sets in his jaw. ‘ i see, yes. you don’t want them to be shocked, or worry for you, yes? ‘

 

kaito slumps with visible relief. ‘ yes! that’s – that’s it, really. i just . . . don’t want them to be hurt. you know? ‘

 

but it seems like kiyo isn’t done yet, as he raises one bandaged finger, eyelashes fluttering against the sharp wedge of his cheekbones, dark against pale. ‘ so, then. ‘ he leans forwards just a little bit, and his voice seems as calm, reserved, as ever, but there’s something running just underneath it. like dark water, things under the surface. ‘ i suppose you think your sudden death will have no effect on them, then, yes? clearly, it is better to keep them in the dark until there is nothing that can be done but blame themselves for not having seen it sooner. ‘

 

kaito balks, at his words. there’s something still a little sad in kiyo’s eyes, but he continues ruthlessly. ‘ do you know what it is like, to be too late, kaito? to think that perhaps you could have done something? your friends won’t appreciate it from you if you hide this from them. all they will believe is that you don’t trust them. ‘

 

‘ alright! ‘ kaito snaps out, one fist hitting the table. he slumps, deflates. ‘ alright. i . . . i get what you’re saying. you don’t have to keep going. ‘

 

‘ you needed to know, ‘ kiyo says, but it sounds like an apology. there’s mourning, in his voice. she wonders how it must have been when sister originally died. she doesn’t _like_ his sister, per se, but she can tell that kiyo is . . . deeply attached to her. when she died . . . what must that have been like? what had he gone through that had enabled him to come to a point where he spoke to ghosts like it was second nature?

 

‘ so . . . what do i do? ‘ kaito asks, and he’s still tense, clearly so. there’s frustration, visible in his body language, and kaede doesn’t think she can blame him – kaito is like her. he needs to take charge of things, needs to be in control. his body beginning to deteriorate underneath him . . . that had to be horrible. on the table, her fingers tapped idly, playing out the first opening lines of a song she always associated with him on an imagined piano.

 

she’d have to ask kiyo if he’d be willing to go by her lab again. it’s been too long without music.

 

kiyo sits back a little in his seat. it’s hard to tell, but kaede thinks he might be pleased. ‘ for starters – your immune system is going to become weaker, before it might begin to self-destruct. you should wear one of these. ‘ he taps his own mask, reaching into his jacket to pull out a plain black surgical mask, setting it down in front of kaito. ‘ it will help. at this point, even things as simple as a cold could just exacerbate your illness. ‘

 

kaito looks a little uncomfortable. ‘ and i’m supposed to just start wearing that all the time? won’t that come off as . . . a little weird? ‘

 

kiyo tips his head to the side, considering that. ‘ while that is true . . . perhaps you could just say that it was a present from me, and you were too intimidated to turn it down for fear of what my reaction might be. people here do not . . . they see me as strange. it would be considered a rational reaction, yes? ‘ his eyes suddenly light up, and he pulls the mask back towards himself. ‘ i have an idea, actually, since you will be here for a few hours. ‘

 

from one of his pockets, he pulls a small sewing kit, bandaged fingers grasping a delicate needle and the white thread. deftly, he turns the mask around, and begins to sew. kaede blinks at him, nonplussed. ‘ what are you doing? ‘ she asks the same question around the same time as kaito.

 

kiyo just raises an eyebrow, but in a way that seems almost playful, now. excited. ‘ you will see. trust me on this, yes? ‘ his fingers continue to fly, either tracking out patterns in front of him on the mask or on the table to try and figure out the design he’s going to use, or pulling the needle through in almost hypnotic motions.

 

‘ other things . . . symptoms are treatable. i remember all of the drugs used to treat my sister, and their purposes and breakdown. we can search the warehouse for comparable medication, or ask miu if she were able to synthesize treatment. she does have an extensive chemical section to her lab, if i remember correctly. painkillers, hot water pads, vitamin supplements . . . all easily acquired, i’ve had to find them before previously. ‘

 

‘ huh, ‘ kaito says, blinking. ‘ why? ‘

 

kiyo’s fingers knit together. ‘ i have . . . a much less severe version of my sister’s disease, what i believe you might have as well. for the most part, it is latent, but sometimes . . . there are worse days. ‘

 

‘ oh, ‘ kaito says, and suddenly looks alarmed. ‘ is it – this isn’t contagious, right? could you have given it to me? ‘

 

‘ unlikely, ‘ kiyo responds. ‘ while it _can_ be contagious, it is primarily genetic, and in the conditions where it can be picked up from someone else, it’s transferred via fluids. we have not shared a needle, transfused blood, or had sexual content of any sort, so i sincerely doubt that i passed it on to you. ‘

 

something scrunches a little in kaito’s face at the suggestion that one of those things might have happened, and kaede can’t help but snort. even in this sort of situation, kaito still managed to look awkward at the idea of having sex with another man. amazing.

 

‘ anything else? ‘ kaito asks, tugging his jacket back over his shoulder, adjusting his wrists nervously within his cuffs.

 

‘ i’ll make a list of foods you should and shouldn’t eat while sick, ‘ kiyo says thoughtfully, continuing to pull the needle through. ‘ some  . . . quite a few, i’m afraid, that i’ve seen in your routine, will have to be eliminated. and there are a few things you should begin eating or drinking – different teas, vegetables, and so on, to help keep you healthy. and . . . while it’s good that you’re getting fresh air every night, the workouts aren’t good ideas. from what i’ve observed, too, you’ve barely been able to meet the regimens you’ve been setting. ‘

 

‘ what’m i supposed to tell shuichi, then? ‘ he asks, looking at kiyo.

 

‘ you could consider telling him the truth, ‘ kiyo proposes, gently, one hand reaching forwards just a little bit to rest on the table between them, a gesture something like comforting. perhaps it would be more so if it came from someone else, but kiyo is undoubtedly genuine, right now, and his eyes are kind. kaede just kind of hopes that kaito is capable of seeing that, in him. of accepting this help.

 

‘ kiyo . . . ‘ kaito starts, wincing a little. ‘ i don’t wanna seem harsh by saying this, but – ‘ kiyo gestures, with a little flick of his wrist, for him to continue. ‘ . . . didn’t your sister die? how do i know any of this is really going to help? ‘

 

kiyo tips his head in kaito’s direction. ‘ a . . . reasonable concern, i suppose. i take no offense. perhaps it would assuage your fears to know . . . my sister first fell ill around the time of my birth, and it was expected she would only live another four, five years. she held out until i was nearly fourteen. while it might be too late to stretch your time out that far, doing these things might help to keep you alive until we get out of here. perhaps . . . perhaps when we do, there might be some kind of cure available for you. more long-term treatment. ‘

 

he turns over the mask he’s working on, spreading it between his fingers to demonstrate it to kaito. in the plain black of the mask, there are now two star shapes, with a fine white line connecting them, and small, delicate numbers sewed next to each star. ‘ i believe the coordinates are correct, yes? ah . . . you are an aries, if i remember your birthday right from our monopads. clearly it’s not done, yet, but . . . i thought it might be better for you if you knew what i was doing. ‘ he turns his work back towards himself, pulling the needle through again.

 

kaito blinks, looks surprised. ‘ that’s . . . really pretty, actually. where’d you learn to sew? ‘

 

kiyo shrugs. ‘ it’s an important life skill to have. i’ve picked up different styles of sutures during my travels, but it was my sister who initially taught me how to embroider, and to repair my own uniform. do you not know how? ‘

 

kaito shakes his head. ‘ never really needed to. not a super manly skill, y’know? my grandma always did that kinda thing if something needed repairing or something like that. ‘

 

kiyo considers him for a moment, head tipped to the side. ‘ would you like me to teach you, then? you may find it more practical than you’re thinking. if nothing else, i can teach you basic repairs, or sutures you could use for medical work. ‘

 

kaito considers this. ‘ i . . . ‘ he looks up at the clock, and then sighs. ‘ you know, i guess we _are_ going to be here for another three hours or whatever, right? why not. ‘ kiyo beams at him – even with his mask on, with the way that his eyes light up, kaede can tell.

 

‘ shuichi actually – ‘ and he reaches into his jacket again. ‘ i have my sister’s sewing kit, but he gave me a new one. i believe from the gacha machine here. it was such a thoughtful gift. you may borrow it, though, for our lesson. ‘ he pulls out a handkerchief, which kaede stares at. she’d never actually thought people had those. ( well, kiyo was always a little strange, though. ) he passes it to kaito.

 

‘ so, first, simply threading the needle . . . ‘

 

the two of them sit in companionable quiet, kiyo directing kaito’s hands – the astronaut’s stitches are clumsy, large and obvious in comparison to kiyo’s delicate needlework, but he picks it up quickly, and they’re _functional._ kiyo looks delighted to be able to teach, too, and by the time the clock hits the end of kaito’s shift, both of them look a little more content. kiyo bundles up the mask he’s been working on, passing it into kaito’s hands.

 

he pauses in the doorway, looking back at kiyo and kirumi. ‘ hey – i still don’t totally like what you guys did or, y’know, going behind everyone’s backs to do it, but i think i get it. you’re not . . . so bad. thanks for the help, kiyo. ‘

 

kiyo’s eyes crinkle in the corners, and kaede wonders if this means they’re friends now. it would probably do kiyo some good to have a friend who wasn’t dead or related to him or both. given the motivating kaito had done for shuichi . . . she’d be interested to see if he ever tried something similar with kiyo.

 

kaito begins to walk away, and rantaro floats back in through the wall, settling into one of the seats. ‘ kokichi’s going to come in soon, ‘ he tells them. there’s an amused smile dancing on his face. ‘ he did try to wake up shuichi, but shuichi said he trusted him, and immediately fell back asleep. poor guy. i think kaito might have worked him a little bit too hard. ‘ he sounds inordinately fond.

 

‘ indeed, ‘ kiyo says, voice rife with amusement of his own. ‘ then . . . it will just be us and kokichi again? i am not opposed to that. ‘

 

‘ really? ‘

 

speak of the devil, kaede thinks with a sigh.

 

kokichi strolls in, hands jauntily held behind his head, like he doesn’t have a care in the world. ‘ because, if it’s just us and the ghosts with you, kiyo, i’ve got a couple questions, you know? ‘ he tips his head to the side with a childlike curiosity. ‘ i think i remember you saying something about that, too. ‘

 

kaede can see kiyo visibly shutting down, and she blinks. what could cause that reaction?

 

kokichi slides into the seat opposite kiyo, leading to an interesting effect for a moment where he’s sitting right through rantaro, who had also tried to take that seat. amused, the survivor stands, taking the seat next to kokichi instead. he props his chin on his hands almost angelically, purple curls framing his face. ‘ you said – not until after the confrontation, right? ‘ his hands spread out in front of him. ‘ well, the confrontation’s over, isn’t it? ‘ suddenly, he leans over the table, and tugs down kiyo’s mask in a sharp, jerking motion.

 

kaede expects him to react equally sharply, but he just looks . . . sad, fingers hiding his mouth. ‘ must we? ‘ he asks, voice barely-there. kokichi’s face looks uncharacteristically serious.

 

‘ what do you think? ‘

 

kiyo nods, and tugs his mask back up again. he looks away from all of them, hands gripping his shoulders. ‘ i . . . sister and i. we need to come clean about . . . hm. something kokichi figured out awhile back, which sister has alluded to. ‘

 

‘ what do you mean? ‘ kaede asks, slowly.

 

rather than answer, kiyo’s fingers find the mask again, and sister’s smile, out of kiyo’s face, is almost beautific. ‘ oh, i must congratulate you on figuring it out so quickly, ouma. but . . . he is right. i think we should have told you long ago, myself. ‘

 

‘ told us _what?_ it’s rantaro’s turn to snap it at her, impatient.

 

her smile doesn’t falter. ( it never does. )

 

‘ about the . . . nature, perhaps, of the relationship between my little brother and i. ‘


	14. Chapter 14

oh, that didn't bode well. immediately, kaede felt a little queasy. there had been a dread sitting in the back of her mind with each of kokichi's insinuations, with each time sister smiled like she was leaving kaede out of a joke -  a dread she'd dismissed, absolutely refused to put a name to. that kind of thing didn't really happen, after all, this wasn't some light novel or dating sim, it was real life! she shouldn’t think things like that about her friends.

 

only now, looking at the red lips that curl insidiously, she wonders if she ought to have dared to be so blunt after all.

 

' what do you mean? ' rantaro asks, and silently, kaede thanks him. she's not quite sure she could bring herself to ask it. his voice has taken that tone again – the same one he had used to address the monokubs, the first time they had all been gathered in the gym together. nonconfrontational, but somehow threatening all the same. drilling straight down to the point. his eyes are focused and unreadable, and she wishes she had that kind of composure.

 

sister's fingers dance in front of her mouth as she laughs softly, coy, her eyelids heavy and the glint of her teeth _dangerous._ ' we will clarify. but . . . the question is, of course – would you rather hear it from me or him? '

 

it feels like a trap.

 

she exchanges uncertain glances with rantaro, and looks to kokichi, as though there might be some sort of answer in the supreme leader's face, but he's feigning boredom, picking at the skin around his nails and looking away from sister. ' let's . . . hear it from kiyo. please, ' she says, because even if she _is_ right, and even if sister unnerves her, she still has her manners.

 

kiyo's fingers as he drags his mask back up the slope of his face are intentionally slow, his wrist drooping, and she realizes he's trying to stall, almost desperately, for time, taking even just these few extra seconds. even as he does, though, there's resignation in his eyes the moment they become _his_ eyes again. he looks away from her, from rantaro, letting his hair fall over his face.

 

' the thing is, ' he says, starting heavily, brushing a dark strand behind one ear. ' . . . hm. ' he lifts his hat from the table and turns it over in his hands, seemingly taken in by the tiny details in the metal bangles, the intricate stitching, the shape of the brim. finally, he looks up at kaede.

 

she thinks if she were able to see his hands, his knuckles might be white, with how tight his hands are, clenching and unclenching on his hat as though he can derive some comfort from it.

 

' rip off the bandaid, kiyo. ' it's kokichi's voice, in his bored drawl, and he still isn't looking at him, but his shoulders are tense and his fingers are drumming on the table _con moto, agitato –_ fast and erratic and increasing with every second of kiyo's silence. there's a shadow cast over his eyes, hiding whatever his true expression might be.

 

kiyo flinches, but he seems to take it to heart, looking just a little more resolute. ' . . . you're right. ' he sets his hands down on the table, palms flat to the surface of it. still, kaede can see them trembling. ' ah – kaede, rantaro. you've heard me speak before about the people motivating me – through life, through here, the reasons i have for being who i am today. my sister, my lover. '

 

kaede nods, slowly. the world feels like it's holding its breath, and she feels like if she still had a heart, it would be pounding in her chest right now.

 

' truth be told . . . they are one and the same, ' kiyo says, and his tone is neutral, carefully neutral, as though if he says it with as little force as possible, it'll mean less. like looking away from a wild animal and keeping your pace even, in the hopes they won't find you a threat, won't strike out at you. and for a fraction of a second, it even almost works. the words – kaede hears them, but she doesn't really comprehend them.

 

but she can't _not._

 

the reality of the situation is thus. kiyo has bared the situation, stripped away the thin veneer that stood in between kaede's suspicions and her acting outright in calling him out, and now he sits there, looking at his hat, carefully still. suspiciously still. like he's holding his breath, waiting for a response. kaede looks at kokichi, and his shoulders are hunched just a little bit more, but his expression is still bored. hasn't changed.

 

so he really had guessed.

 

kaede wishes she could ask him how he knew, how he'd managed to step up and _ask_ this of kiyo.

 

another beat goes by. she and rantaro are still standing there, looking at kiyo, not reacting. the world is still holding its breath.

 

rantaro exhales first.

 

' kiyo . . . ' he begins, quietly, and his voice is soft, ringing with something low and emotional, untranslatable. horror, maybe. maybe pity, maybe fear, maybe confusion. the kind of hushed voice you'd have looking at a rattlesnake turned to roadkill. like witnessing the death of something malevolent, but not intentionally so – that curious guilty sort of satisfaction, that horrified fear, short in your chest, the eyes averted almost like out of respect. ( but darting back, every time, to the scene of the crime. )

 

he bows his head.

 

his fingers find his mask, and when his head tilts back again, it's sister, looking almost smug. ' if it had been up to me, ' she says, almost lightly, looking at her bandaged hands as though she were examining her nails, ' i would have told you long ago. i am not particularly fond of lying, especially when it comes to something like love. '

 

there's a harsh, short sound that makes kaede jump, and she looks over to see that it's kokichi, grinning up at sister from his place across the table, resting his fists together so they sit just near his chin. ' oh, that's a good one! ' he cheers, like an enthusiastic grade schooler. ' you almost managed to say it with a straight face, too! ' he glances around the room, a sweeping gesture of the eyes. ' betcha wherever kaede is, she was almost kinda convinced! '

 

  1. so the sweeping of the eyes had been because he was . . . essentially trying to look at her, with no idea of where she really was.



 

sister's eyes turn sharp around the edges, and after a second of pausing, looking like she was . . .  assessing kokichi, like he was on the other side of a chessboard, she raises one perfectly-formed eyebrow, voice elegant, lilting and polite, and so, so, insidious. ' whatever do you mean by that, ouma? '

 

he rests his cheek on one fist, head tilted to the side, and puffs his cheeks out, almost pouting. ' aww, it's no fun if you pretend not to know. '

 

her stare becomes frosty, eyes simply narrowing a fraction of a degree. kaede takes a few steps back and away from the both of them, transfixed by the interaction until she feels her shoulder brushing against rantaro's. he looks at her and gives her a tiny, reassuring sort of smile, shifting his hand to link their pinkies together. comforting, like a secret, like an older brother – though, she suddenly gags. maybe not the best comparison, given the current revelation.

 

' incest? ' she whispers to him, revulsion still turning over in her gut.

 

he nods grimly. ' . . . seems like it. i think . . . i might have guessed, with some of the implications she kept trying to make, but i didn't really want to think that, y'know? '

 

kaede stares at the back of kiyo's head. ' i'm not sure if i want to be linked to him anymore, ' she tells rantaro, swallowing. ' not . . . like this. '

 

rantaro hesitates. ' i mean, ' he starts, slowly, ' that's your prerogative. but . . . i think there – i don't think that part's really kiyo's fault. ' she starts to form a word on her tongue, starts to ask what he means, but he shifts his hand so both of theirs are clasped together, nodding in the direction of the table. ' i think kokichi might have figured it out, ' he says cryptically.

 

' weeeell, if you're not going to say it yourself, i guess i'll have to, ' kokichi huffs out dramatically, rolling his eyes. ' you've got no qualms with lying, do you? but in this case . . . you want to tell the truth, because that's what's gonna shock people the most. how disgusting the two of you are. ' for a flash, there's a sneer intense enough to seem cruel, before he's simply back to looking at her innocently. ' because that's what you want us to think, right? that you and kork are disgusting? '

 

she spreads her hands with the sort of heir an indulgent priest might have while talking to children, choosing to answer even their inane questions. ' i am not unaware that some people find it unpalatable, yes. that doesn't mean i want you to be disgusted. '

 

kokichi's legs dangle idly. ' no, that alone wouldn't mean that, ' he agrees. ' and you're right, i _do_ think you're really, really gross. ' for a second, kaede could swear – in the same way kiyo tends to smile with his eyes, she can see a gleam of success across sister's own. kokichi holds up a thin finger. ' but _just_ you. haven't really come to a decision on kiyo, yet. '

 

' whatever do you mean? '

 

' can i ask a question? ' he asks suddenly, tone light and free of any agendas again, eyes wide as he looks at sister.

 

her eyes narrow slightly, but there's no real reason for her to tell him no, so she tips her head in his direction, giving him the floor to speak. he grins, a flash of a thing, there and gone like the flip of a light switch. ' sooooo . . . from what kiyo's told us, you died like . . . three or four years ago, right? '

 

' that is correct. '

 

' so like – how long were you two a thing? before you died, at least, i'm gonna bet a couple of things change when one of you doesn't really have a body to rock anymore, huh? '

 

sister's eyes roll impatiently. ' i hardly see how this is relevant. '

 

he tips back in his chair, shoving off the table with his knee so he teeters precariously on the back legs, hands resting impetuously behind his head. he looked like he didn't have a care in the world. ' okay, then. can i talk to kiyo, if you don't wanna tell me anything interesting? '

 

she glares daggers at him, but tugs up the mask, and when kiyo comes back to himself, his eyes have none of the lazy majesty that sister manages to convey with her own, none of that condescending sort of grace. he looks like a skittish animal, head jerking ever so slightly in one direction and then the next to look at kokichi and kaede and rantaro in turns. ' . . . what do you want to know, kokichi? ' he asks, and his voice is tired, tired, so tired.

 

kokichi shrugs, and tips forwards, the front legs of his chair slamming into the linoleum with a bang.  he leans across the table, now, tip of his checkered scarf just brushing it. ' how long you and your sister were, you know. more than that. i'm just curious. '

 

he looks away, shrugs in a pathetic attempt at nonchalance. ' it doesn't matter. for a few years. '

 

' how many? ' kokichi pressed, his eyes suddenly alarmingly serious, and kiyo flinches.

 

' i would say . . . five or six, ' he replies, a little hesitantly. ' though my memory is . . . unreliable. '

 

kokichi makes an exaggerated show of counting out numbers on his fingers. ' soooo, you're saying that you got into a sexual relationship with your sister when you were – nine? that's a little weird, kiyo! ' the syllables of kiyo's name he sings out. ' but i guess maybe it couldn't be so bad, except – oh, wait! ' he places a finger on his cheek, and kaede realizes what he's getting at, seconds before he says it.

 

he remembers talking to kiyo and sister, remembers kiyo calling her his other half. remembers asking if they had been twins – and remembers his answer.

 

_she's a little under eight years my senior._

 

oh.

 

' exceeept, ' kokichi sings out, hands clasped, ' she was almost an adult then, right? '

 

' kokichi, ' he pleads, quietly, ' don't. '

 

his face wipes clean, quickly and sharply. ' why? because you know i'm right? '

 

there's a sudden loud bang ringing through the dining hall as kiyo slams a hand down on the table, eyes little more than yellow slits now. ' no! you aren't! you don't know anything about our lives. this – unorthodox as it may be – this is love. we are destined to be together. ' he cradles himself tightly, fingers digging into his shoulders. ' and i – i made that possible. i found a way to bring her back to me. '

 

it's disgusting. the whole concept, the whole story, is disgusting. but kaede . . . can't help but feel sorry for kiyo. it's not . . . with the way kokichi helped lay it out for them, it's clear enough that this can't be blamed on him. her hand squeezes rantaro's for support, and his shoulder nudges her own – it feels like the world is tipping on its axis. things already weren't making sense, and now they just grew more and more out of proportion of the known.

 

kiyo's mask is down around his neck again.

 

sister's face is an icy mask of calm, but her fists are trembling with rage. ' you can't judge us. you don't know what it was like, for either of us. ' she calms, sitting back in her seat, and rests a hand over her heart. ' you're beginning to agitate him, ' she says, as though gently scolding kokichi. ' he's a good little brother, but he is fragile, sometimes. ' both of her hands clasp over her chest now. ' be calm, korekiyo. you mustn't waver. you must retain your composure. you are better than this. '

 

she looks towards rantaro and kaede now. ' you can judge us as much as you want, ' she says, clicking her tongue, ' but you need us, for this. ' her head tips to the side, and she smiles sweetly. ' this is just something you'll have to live with. we both want it, and we both know it's love, even if you suffer the delusion that it isn't. this is what love is. '

 

kaede swallows down bile.

 

 _does kiyo know any other form of love?_ she wonders, suddenly – the only people from his life he ever referenced before were his sister and his lover, and now there was the fact revealed that they were the same person. had he ever been loved, by anyone else? had he ever had the _chance_ to learn that love shouldn't be like this?

 

she wants to ask him, but she doesn't know if he could answer to her, and sister hangs onto him still. like a parasite.

 

kiyo tugs his mask back up. ' that is . . . ' he swallows, looking down and away, nails digging into his forearms. ' there. that is the truth of the matter. i said we would discuss it after the confrontation, and now we have. are you satisfied, kokichi? '

 

kaede thinks what she sees across kokichi's face is frustration, there and then gone, and he just shrugs, lounging back in his chair again after casting a lazy look over kirumi where she's still restrained. ' yeah, i guess. that's what i wanted to know, after all. '

 

it may have settled things for kokichi, but all kaede can feel is distress. it raises a hundred more questions in her – she has no idea what to feel, what to say. she can't imagine it – she's got a twin sister, after all. she imagines – she shudders, nails digging into rantaro's palms as she feels violently ill. no, no, she's not imagining that. who could do that?

 

walls aren't actually things that can contain them, but suddenly she feels claustrophobic. walled in, trapped, by the dining hall's walls. not even really caring that she's dragging rantaro with her, she takes off at a fast pace, moving from a brisk walk to almost an outright run, bursting through one wall and then the next to reach the outdoors, panting as though she could still draw breath, holding a death grip onto rantaro's hand, who seemed to have come with her with no complaints.

 

she hunches over a little, resting her hands on her knees, and fights back nausea. he rubs small circles into her back, pity digging soft arches into his face. ' it's a lot to take in, isn't it. ' his voice is free of judgement. ' just do whatever you need to do, kaede. it's a lot to take in. '

 

' how are you so calm about this? ' she bursts out. ' it's – his _sister,_ and he was _nine,_ and – ' rantaro holds up a hand.

 

' i know, ' he says, gently. ' i'm not . . . calm about this. i don't think it's okay or anything. but . . . right now, at this very moment? there's not really a lot we can do. ' he smiles at her encouragingly. ' maybe that can be one of your new goals, kaede. if we can't help set everyone free anymore, maybe we can at least just help one person break free. '

 

kaede took another few seconds to breathe, and stood up straight. sadly, she looks back in the direction of the building they'd come from. she doesn't voice what she thinks.

 

_does he even want to be free?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! here it is. the Confessional chapter. 
> 
> please leave comments if you like, if you're excited for the next chapter ( miu time and beginning to explain all the shit to the class ), etc.


	15. Chapter 15

' don't pretend you weren't hoping for that, ' kokichi says, examining his short nails, when sister informs him that rantaro and kaede have now left, her red lips poised and calm. maybe a little too poised – like rather than any kind of upset, what she's hoping to hide is a smile. like a woman sitting at the hand of a lord, hands folded perfectly in her lap to hide the fact that they're shaking with excitement, to hide the poison she just slipped into his cup, to hide her impatience that dances in the corners of her eyes as she waits for him to drink the wine.

 

the king raises his glass, gives a toast, takes a hearty sip.

 

she tells them the truth.

 

he falls dead on the floor, and she pretends not to take an immediate victory in it.

 

kaede and rantaro run out, straight through the wall, and she can barely restrain her smile from taking over her brother's borrowed face.

 

' i don't know what you're talking about, ' she replies, voice crystalline and calm, hands folded on the table in front of her, flicking an invisible speck of dust off of the uniform they're cloaked in, that she allegedly made herself. ' korekiyo is very upset. ' her lips quirk. ' i wouldn't instigate something to cause  _that._ '

 

' man, people like you are the reason i hate liars, ' he drawls. ' sometimes they can be a good thing, but you're just doing it because it's convenient. ' and he folds his hands together, tipping his head to the side in a way that makes him look practically angelic. ' aaaand because you know he'll believe you no matter what you say or how bad it is or how real he knows it isn't. ' sister looks indignant, chin beginning to rise as she prepared a reply, and quick as a flash, he jerks over the table, clamping a small pale hand over her mouth.

 

if looks could kill, he muses, this one would have a body count to it. he flops back into his seat, dramatically wiping the lipstick now staining his hand off on his uniform with a wrinkled nose of distaste. ' because like i said. you wanted them to leave. ' he points a finger in her direction, mimicking kiyo's lecturing pose. ' seems like someone was getting kinda jealous, riiight? you don't want him to have anyone else. ' he pouts cutely. ' kinda sad, if you're so worried he won't love you that you'll go ahead and see anything as a threat, don'tcha think? '

 

she grits her teeth, and he knows he's hit a nerve. 

 

 

but her expression smooths over, forcefully. like someone took a rolling pin to her countenance, flattened out all the inconvenient little bumps caused by anger and her cold glare and the near-petulant curl she sometimes had to her lips. ‘ and you . . . aren’t repulsed by it? ‘ she hides a soft little giggle behind her bandaged fingertips, and it looks _wrong._ ‘ do _you_ have a sister of your own, kokichi? ‘

 

he scoffs. ‘ i find . . . your relationship? yeah, that’s gross. but incest . . . someone being coerced into a relationship, that i’ve seen before. ‘ he blows a raspberry almost contemplatively, swinging his legs. ‘ i know which of you two has the power here. neither of you are really subtle about it. his clothes, his hair, his mask, his interests, his way of talking - they’re all based on you, aren’t they? he’d fall apart without you there, and you know it. ‘ his smile becomes crafty, sharp. ‘ you _like_ that. it’s what you want from him. ‘

 

‘ absolutely not, ‘ she remarks coldly, but he sees amusement dancing in her eyes, and knows that he’s right. but kiyo can hear them speaking, after all, so it’s not as though she can just say that. she knows that he knows she’s lying, and she revels in it. he scowls, ever so slightly. ‘ i love my brother. ‘ her hands cross over her heart, almost tenderly.

 

what a bunch of bullshit.

 

he doesn’t say that to her face, though. she’d probably just be able to use that as evidence. further isolate kiyo - look, see, didn’t i tell you they’d never understand? - she was the worst kind of person.

 

‘ yeah, ‘ he says, pretending to sound bored again, and picking at the eternally chipped dark nail polish on his hands - painted on messily and then gone in hours, given his habit of either chewing them or picking at them - using his thumbnail to flick the tiny flakes of paint across the table at sister, watching a muscle twitch in her face in annoyance. good. ‘ you sure do, huh? i’m sure people might say you love him a liiiiittle too much, you know. ‘

 

she scoffs, and she’s saying something now, but he’s tuning her out, scrolling back through rantaro’s survivor’s perk and frowning, going back over each of the motives. like it was a puzzle he might be able to put together, even if he only had half of the pieces.

 

kiyo’s motive, redundant. same for kaede’s and rantaro’s. kirumi’s, being dealt with. ryoma, miu was constructing their false motive for . . .

 

it was a few hours later that had miu coming down, make-upless, braless, and using a screwdriver to scratch between her shoulderblades, other arm holding a bundle of spare technology. she yawned, dumping it unceremoniously out on the table with a loud clang, pulling kokichi out of his reverie. he recoiled dramatically. ‘ ugh, kiyo, you practice any summoning spells recently? i think you pulled something out of the black lagoon! ‘

 

‘ fuck you, ‘ miu grunted eloquently, beginning to jam a thin tool of some sort into one of the kubs pads. kiyo, who had been making coffee in the kitchen, walks out tiredly, and kokichi screws up his eyes and _bawls._

 

‘ _waaaaaaaa!_ ‘ he sniffs, for that added dramatic impact. ‘ snf- kiyooooo! kiyooo,miu said fuck you to me!!! ‘ he pouts, wiping his eyes. ‘ you should kill her or something! ‘

 

kiyo just raises an eyebrow and slides miu a mug - massive, about the size of a bowl - and kokichi one of his own - shaped like a rat’s head. ‘ did he have it coming? ‘ he asks miu, wearily.

 

‘ what the fuck do you think? ‘ she grumbles, perking up slightly when he passes her her mug. ‘ fuckin’ nice. did you make it right, though? ‘

 

kokichi sniffs his own. ‘ yeah. i’ve got very cultured tastes. if you made mine wrong, i can’t forgive this. my organization is going to have you killed. ‘

 

kiyo just takes a sip of his own - coffee? tea? kokichi can’t see into his mug - and points tiredly at miu. ‘ black, two packets of pink sugar substitute, and a caffeine pill and a half ground up and stirred in. ‘ he turns to point at kokichi. ‘ chocolate milk, and a truly nauseating amount of sugar, as well as a spoonful of brown sugar. ‘

 

kokichi looks mildly impressed, taking a sip of his own coffee without further comment. ‘ how about you, huh? ‘

 

‘ human blood, ‘ kiyo says dryly, his expression unchanging. miu cringes from where she’s working to put together the stack of kubs pads, and tries to play it off as a casual motion. kokichi snickers at her, and she flips him off, muttering to herself as she fiddles with wires and metal bits and pieces.

 

there’s nothing but the sound of her tinkering for a few minutes, blending into the background noise, minutes turning into an hour or so, before she sets her elbow on the table, jerking her screwdriver. ‘ so she’s still out cold, huh? ‘ she grins, waggling her eyebrows. ‘ didn’t do anything freaky to her while she was sleeping, didja? ‘

 

kiyo sighs, cupping his mug in his bandaged hands. ‘ miu, i’m not fond of the implication that either kokichi or myself are rapists. besides - he’s gay, and i’m already in a committed relationship. ‘ ( kokichi swallows back a grimace at that. )

 

miu groans. ‘ it was just a joke. ‘

 

‘ indeed, ‘ kiyo says cooly, ‘ and often i will tolerate your jokes, but on that you went a little too far. ‘

 

she rests her cheek on her palm with a huff, looking at the table and poking the fake wooden surface with the point of her screwdriver for a couple of minutes before letting out a begrudging ‘. . . sorry. ‘

 

kiyo’s head tips gracefully in her direction. ‘ my thanks to you. and - in response, i’m not sure when she’ll be waking up. perhaps sometime soon, given that it’s . . . going to be time for the morning announcements soon, ‘ he says, nodding at the clock up on the wall. he sighs after that thought, rubbing his eyes tiredly. ‘ so. who wants to explain the situation at hand? ‘

 

‘ i’m too busy working on this shit, ‘ miu says with a shrug, pulling a soldering gun out of the front of her shirt and getting back to work. at kokichi’s raised eyebrow, she sticks her tongue out. ‘ fuck you looking at, rat boy? ‘

 

‘ weeeeell, kiyo, ‘ kokichi says, fluttering his eyelashes and framing his face with his hands, ‘ a lot of this _was_ your idea. plus, they’ll . . . probably be more willing to believe you than me. ‘

 

kiyo sighs, rubbing his eyes. ‘ well, maki, shuichi, kaito, kirumi, you, miu, and i are already in the know. so we need to tell . . . ryoma, gonta, angie, tenko, himiko, tsumugi, and kiibo. i feel like .. . tenko and angie might be the real wild cards here, especially if tenko thinks we’ve hurt kirumi in any way. hopefully, we can get maki to corroborate our story. miu, if you would as well, please? ‘

 

‘ yeah, yeah, i’ll talk to miss andry, ‘ miu says with a dramatic sigh. ‘ girl might be a lot less pissy if she stopped chasing after himiko and got her lesbo on with someone else. i think the little con artist is straight. ‘ she examines her handiwork, frowns, and slams it on the table, nodding in satisfaction when that seems to set one of the mechanisms in place properly. ‘ that, or she’s just not interested. and who can blame her? ‘

 

‘ you volunteering, miu? ‘ kokichi asks with a grin. ‘ funny, didn’t think tenko was your type. then again, maybe getting pegged would take _you_ down a couple of pegs. ‘

 

miu flushes, and throws a wrench at kokichi’s head, earning a little yelp from him as he ducks under the table, kiyo just sighing and taking another sip of his coffee, shaking his head as the shaking of the table sends kokichi’s mug tipping over, dripping the dregs of his sugary concoction all over the back of his supreme leader uniform. ‘ both of you are . . . so smart, ‘ he remarks, almost in apparent awe, ‘ and yet so, so stupid. truly a fascinating example of the duality of man. ‘

 

‘ don’t call me stupid! ‘ kokichi says, in a surprisingly good kaito imitation as he wrings coffee out of his hair, before dropping it entirely for a cutesy saccharine type of voice. ‘ it huwts my feewings, kiyo! you’ww being so mean to meeeee. ‘

 

there’s a gentle thud as kiyo’s forehead rests on the table, miu cackling quietly in the background.

 

which means he’s looking at the faint swirls of wood grain when he hears kokichi startle and say - ‘ oh! hey, guys! goooood morning! ‘

 

* * *

 

 

_there's now[art for this fanfiction](https://wackflounder.tumblr.com/post/186500114643/oh-wow-finished-work-this-is-fan-art-for-serafs), as done by wackflounder on tumblr!!! it's incredible and i'm so happy people are liking this story. here it is! _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, leave comments if you liked, if you're interested to see where it goes next, etc! this one's a bit more padding, ig, but it's always fun to write miu.
> 
> also, i'm considering starting a discord for this story! tell me if you'd be interested!


	16. Chapter 16

when kaede and rantaro return, albeit with some hesitation, they arrive to see the group gathered for breakfast, and kiyo and the crew that had been working with them trying to explain themselves. kirumi was finally awake, miu had - at some point - gotten freshened up, kokichi was eating marshmallows right out of the bag rather than anything that would constitute a real breakfast, and tenko had kiyo in a headlock. 

 

wait. 

 

‘ are you alright? ‘ kaede called out, hurrying through the table over to him, where the side of his face was mashed into the table, and his eyes shot in her direction with one brow slowly raising, sardonically, as if to say  _ what do you think?  _ tenko was shouting something about degenerates, pointing at kirumi, and miu was trying to shout over her as well, but whatever coherent point she was trying to make was muddled by the flood of obscenities coming from her mouth as she shook tenko’s arm. 

 

‘ everyone shut up! ‘ 

 

kaede’s surprised when she looks over and sees that it’s kaito who yelled it out, slamming his hand against the table, and everyone else seems to have similar reactions, looking at him like he’s lost his mind. even kiyo’s raising an eyebrow in mild curiousity. 

 

kaito just gestures vaguely. ' we're not gonna get anything sorted out if this is how we're approaching any of our issues, y'know. ' 

 

' woooow! ' kokichi pipes up, tossing a marshmallow into the air and catching it in his mouth. ' kaito, are you actually saying something smart? i guess your two brain cells  _ do  _ sometimes have to make impact, bouncing around your empty skull like that. ' 

 

' kokichi, ' kiyo says, as though his patience has  _ really  _ been pushed to the limit lately ( which kaede, given the circumstances, really can't find it within herself to blame him for ), ' if he's trying to help us, would you please  _ not  _ antagonize him? i understand it does come second nature to you, but make an effort. ' 

 

he huffed dramatically at that, but at the very least, he seemed to be done talking. small mercies. 

 

' tenko, you may let kiyo go, ' kirumi of all people said, her eyes cool and calculating, resting on the anthropologist's face. ' i will admit to a moment of selfishness - i am curious as well to hear an explanation for as to how and why i've found myself in this position. ' 

 

tenko scowled down at him for a moment, but nodded. ' only because you seem like you're okay with it! if you change your mind, i can use my neo-aikido to break all of his fingers for you! ' with that last threat out of the way, she finally let kiyo up, who flexed out his arm and his wrist, taking a small step out of tenko flipping range, clearing his throat softly. 

 

' let's . . . hope it doesn't come to that, ' he says delicately. ' i apologize to those of you who were left out of elements of this plan, but this seemed the most efficient way to do things. those who  _ did  _ know about it, in some capacity or another, are myself, kokichi, miu, maki, kaito, and shuichi - and, of course, kirumi. this was not simply me acting alone. ' 

 

' so that's cleared out, ' ryoma says in his deep voice, thumb running over the end of his candy cigarrete, ' but that still doesn't tell us why you've got kirumi tied up. ' 

 

' ah, ' he says. ' well, that is simple enough. last night, kirumi tried to kill me. ' 

 

there's a shocked murmur rippling through their classmates, even some of them - like kaito - who had been informed about this earlier, as they looked between kirumi and kiyo. kirumi's chin rises a little gracefully. ' i might add, kiyo, ' she said, voice icy and composed, ' that you did volunteer for such. ' 

 

' indeed, ' kiyo says, with an incline of his head, ' but only because i knew there was a probability that you  _ would  _ try and kill someone, and i would rather risk my own life than one of our classmates', especially if i have the opportunity to stop it altogether. the best possible result, after all, is that two people would have died, and the worst being that thirteen would. neither one of those situations is desirable to me. so . . . i did trick you, yes, but i hardly think i'm unjustified. ' 

 

' look at tsumugi, ' rantaro murmurs, nudging kaede's side with his elbow and nodding in the direction of the cosplayer, pulling kaede's focus away from the conversation. she did as he instructed, turning her head away from the commotion. 

 

tsumugi's glasses had an almost unnatural gleam to them, hiding her eyes and thus her expression, her mouth pressed into a fine line as she listened to the back-and-forth between kiyo and kirumi, one finger tapping almost impatiently against her upper arm. it's not something that anyone else would have noticed, given the chaos unfolding - who would spare a thought as to what plain jane tsumugi was doing? 

 

of course, it could just be an odd reaction to the situation they found themselves in, but because it was tsumugi, kaede couldn't help but find her actions suspect. 

 

' the one thing i don't understand, ' kirumi is saying, as they both turn their attention back to the conversation at hand, ' is how i ended in this position. i do not remember any action that could have possibly knocked me out. ' 

 

' ah, ' kiyo says, with an incline of one finger, ' i can divulge that, but later. i promise i  _ will,  _ it will simply be easier to explain in due time. there is another reason we were waiting here for all of you - that we needed to speak to all of you. ' he presses his slim fingertips together. ' i believe miu and kokichi might be best suited to explain this part of it, however. ' 

 

dubiously, the attention shifts towards miu and kokichi, who aren't exactly well known for their trustworthy status among the group. kokichi scowls briefly at kiyo, but his smile is bright and present as ever when the eyes meet him. 

 

' sooooo. who remembers the monopads from a little bit back that kee-boy brought up? ' kokichi asks brightly. there's an uneasy look passed around the group - most of them hadn't gotten theirs, after all. ' weeeell, we found the rest of them. sort of. miu here's got em all hooked up and ready for a group viewing party! ' miu cowers back a little bit, fiddling with her goggles to avoid meeting the eyes of the group. 

 

' d-don't look at me! ' she calls out. ' this was their idea, i just put this shit together. ' she slaps the cube of technology sitting by her elbow. despite the stutter to her tone, she looked rather proud of her creation. 

 

' you did this without asking the group? ' kiibo asks, looking conflicted. ' that seems highly inadvisable! we should all have talked about this as a group, and decided whether we should watch them! if monokuma wants us to watch them - ' 

 

' yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah, ' kokichi says, waving one hand dismissively. ' wouldn't've mattered anyway. kirumi saw  _ hers,  _ and that made her ready to kill someone. if kiyo hadn't overheard what her motive had been, we might all be in the middle of a class trial right now! ' he rested his hands on his hands. ' so shut up and let the humans talk about this kinda thing, kiibot. ' 

 

' anyway, ' kiyo picks up, rather forcefully to drown out kiibo's interjections about robophobia, ' that's what made me realize it might be better to watch them together as a group. we will then all know each other's motives, and know who might be more likely to act on them. kirumi's motive, for example, was one that someone, especially someone like her, might be hard-pressed  _ not  _ to act on. ' 

 

' is this true, kirumi? ' angie asks cheerfully, head tipping to the side. ' were you thinking of killing someone? hm? hm? ' 

 

she bowed her head, a graceful acquiescing. ' i suppose, since i didn't succeed, there is no harm in admitting it. korekiyo . . . is not lying. i saw my motive video, and i was planning on acting about it, in order to get out. if they are planning to show it . . . i hope that you will see mine, and that will help you all not judge my decision. given the situation . . . there were not many other things i could think of. ' 

 

' kirumi . . . you were really going to kill someone to get out? ' tenko exclaimed, distressed. 

 

kiyo raises a finger. ' perhaps it may be a good time to show kirumi's video now, to clarify why her actions took place. yes? if not, there will be an amount of doubt to anything we tell you. ' 

 

' you never saw the video, right, though? ' kaede asks, settling in next to kiyo's side as miu taps a few things into what looked like a repurposed projector remote. ' just - read out what her motive is on the survivor's perk? ' 

 

seemingly just a motion of him settling back into his seat to watch the video, kiyo nods. 

 

kokichi, for dramatic effect, flicks off the lights, and though they seem to have some lingering arguments to make, everyone settles into their seats at the breakfast table with varying levels of resentment as monokuma's bright and grating voice begins to sound over the speakers miu wired her way into. 

 

' alright! back by popular demand, the motive video! ' 

 

' popular demand? ' kaede murmurs to rantaro, who just shrugs. 

 

' well, according to my pad, i was in at least one game before. who knows how long these have been going on, if that's the case? might be a theme or something, ' rantaro reasons. 

 

' who's the most important person in  _ your  _ life? ' the cheerful recording continues. ' and now, without further ado . . . kirumi tojo, the ultimate maid. with clients in politics and finance, this elite maid is renowned for completing any request. ' 

 

kirumi doesn't seem like the type to be prideful of anything, but kaede does notice a humble sort of acceptance of the statement in her eyes as monokuma begins to read. pride, but only rightfully so. 

 

' one fateful day . . . she was suddenly summoned by one of her most influential clients - the prime minister. ' 

 

kaede, of course, knows where this is going. but there's still a tiny ripple of shock rising in her chest, a feeling like dread - because what if stopping her had been the wrong thing to do, if this really did seem to be the truth? her classmates seem to share that reaction, murmurs starting amongst themselves at the idea that kirumi had been working for the  _ prime minister.  _

 

_ just you wait _ , kaede thought grimly.  _ there's more.  _

 

like it was reacting directly to her thoughts, the motive video keeps talking in its cheerful voice. 

 

' the prime minister had a request of utmost importance. he requested that she use her talent as the ultimate maid to serve her country. he asked kirumi to "make this country great again," and transferred all his authority to her. ' 

 

dead silence. all of them drawn in by the video, eyes wide. 

 

' no one suspected that the prime minister's new secretary was secretly running the country! and ovr time, she became the de facto prime minister! only kirumi could save the country from impending doom! ' 

 

monokuma's voice sounds almost gleeful, now, as all of them watch on in shock. 

 

' yes! the future of the country rests entirely on her capable shoulders! but kirumi is up to the task, for she only accepts requests that only she can fulfill. she is driven by the belief that her citizens are the most important people in her life. oh, and while we're on the subject of those important people . . . ' 

 

dread sinks into kaede's chest. the survivor's perk hadn't gone this much into detail. just stated that kirumi was the de facto prime minister, and that the people who were most important to her were her citizens. there hadn't been any mention of this upcoming disaster. what was happening on the world outside? was this related to what kiyo and the rest had seen in that flashback light, the ultimate hunt? what was happening? 

 

should they have just let her do it? 

 

' an unfortunate event will soon befall those vermin and sheeple, ' monokuma continues, voice turned heavy with malice as the screen distorts into a blur of color. he pops up on the display. ' what event, you ask? it's a secret! find out for yourself. puhuhuhuhu . .  . '

 

with that, the video abruptly ends, and miu, after a second of realization, presses pause before the next motive video plays. 

 

kokichi turns on the lights, and the room explodes with a quiet shock. 

 

' kirumi, you're . . . the prime minister? ' tenko asks, eyes wide with awe. she doesn't seem to be the only one expressing this sentiment, a few others having asked the same question once the lights came on. tenko wrings her hands anxiously. ' do you need to get out, then? were these d- were they wrong for  _ stopping  _ you? ' 

 

' hey, hey, now, ' angie reasons, ' if she had gotten away with it, all of us would have to die. ' she tips her head to the side. ' buuuut, should we? is it selfish to keep living? i don't know, i don't know! this is very interesting indeed, kirumi! atua always said you were important, but i didn't think it would be like this! ' 

 

' hey, kiyo, ' kaito says, looking over at him, ' how come you didn't tell us this part? ' 

 

kiyo shrugged. ' i did not know, ' he says, gracefully knitting his fingers together. ' i simply heard from one of the monokubs about the nature of kirumi's motive video, in that she was the prime minister and that her people were the most important to her. given a motive of that scale, and the resolve i've seen in her before, i thought she would be willing to take action on it, and i thought it best i interfere before at the very least, two more deaths happened in our group. ' 

 

' is that really your choice to make, though? ' kiibo asks, his brows drawing together, to which kiyo merely shrugs. 

 

' which of the monokubs told you that? ' tsumugi asks, with a curiousity that could easily be read as benign, if you didn't have the suspicions about her that kaede and rantaro did. 

 

kiyo seems to pick up on this as well, because he just raises an eyebrow simply. ' does it matter? ' 

 

tsumugi backpedals a little bit, playing with a strand of her hair. ' well . . . i suppose it doesn't, really, but if they told you themselves, we could plainly have an ally in one of them, you know? it might be good to know if we can trust one of them. ' 

 

kiyo hums. ' an interesting thought. i'll try and remember. ' his tone, and the way his eyes flick away from her, though, indicate dismissal, like he's politely telling her to mind her own business without so many words. kaede can't help but grin at the frustration she thinks she sees for a moment in her eyes. 

 

' so . . . what does everybody think we should do now? ' gonta asks, eyes anxious. 

 

' well, isn't it fuckin' obvious? ' miu asks, leaning over the table. ' i didn't spend this whole fuckin' morning around cock-sucker-kokichi building this piece of crap for nothing. we're gonna watch the rest of these fuckin' videos, and  _ then  _ we can talk about all the shit that happened in them. if we stop now to talk about whatever the hell monokuma says is happening in the country, and whether or not maid cafe over here shoulda killed off tall, dark, and kinky after all, we'll be stuck down here for fuckin' hours. i dunno about  _ you  _ all, but i've got better shit to do with my time. ' 

 

' oh really? ' kokichi asks, eyes wide and innocent. ' like what, washing the come out of your hair? ' 

 

' go fuck yourself, you little shit smear, ' she replies eloquently, tossing both feet up on the table. 

 

kiyo, where he's sitting, rubs his eyes. 

 

' you chose to work with them, ' kaede points out, and he shoots her a look, yellow eyes narrowed. bizarrely, even under the circumstances, for a second it all feels so  _ normal.  _

 

she can even forget, for a moment, the horrible things disclosed to them last night. 

 

she shudders at the memory. thankfully, sister hasn't made another appearance since then, but she can't - the thought still makes her skin crawl. rantaro rests a hand on her shoulder, pulling her out of her thoughts, and she mouths  _ thanks  _ at him as she brings her focus back to miu and her classmates trying to decide what to do next. 

 

' if it isn't too much of a bother, ' kirumi states calmly, ' i would like to be untied, now. ' 

 

' maybe you shouldn't've fuckin' tried to kill someone, then, bitch! ' miu exclaims. 

 

' now, hold on, miu, ' shuichi says thoughtfully. ' i think . . . we might be able to. we know about her motive now, after all. if a murder did happen, she'd be our first suspect, and i don't think kirumi is dumb enough to try that. besides, all of us are right here. we'll be able to watch her, after all. ' 

 

kirumi inclines her head. ' thank you, shuichi. you're right. now that you know what was driving me, i will not be trying again. it is for all of you to decide how to judge me for my actions, but i hope you can forgive me for what i attempted, given the circumstances. ' 

 

' gonta forgives you! ' gonta exclaims. ' if you are sorry, then that is enough. no one was hurt, after all, so gonta believes kirumi should get another chance. ' 

 

' indeed, ' kiyo says, tipping his head. ' i apologize again for tricking you, kirumi, but i have faith in our classmates' ability to figure it out if you  _ had  _ killed someone, and i wanted to stop you before your devotion resulted in your and someone else's deaths. ' 

 

' apology accepted, ' kirumi says, with the kind of grace only she is ever able to muster. ' i see now that my actions may have been hasty. and i . . . hope i did not let you all down too much. ' 

 

kokichi's eyes narrow, across the table, and for a second his fists tense, but he doesn't say anything. instead, he reaches into one pocket, twirling the handcuff key around one finger carelessly. ' i'll give this back to you guys, buuuut, first i'm gonna need you all to give me fifty monocoins! ' 

 

' each? ' himiko exclaims, eyes wide. ' i don't have that kinda money! ' 

 

kokichi pretends to think about it. ' nah, i think i'll be merciful about it. just total. ' 

 

there's some muttering amongst the group, a few of them beginning to rifle through their pockets, when shuichi just, without much ceremony, places all fifty down in front of kokichi. at the stares he gets, he reddens a little. ' i just . . . kind of like some of the games in the casino, ' he tries to explain, looking away from them. 

 

' thank you, shuichi! ' kokichi sings, blowing him a loud and obnoxious kiss before tossing kiyo the keys. he's quick to undo the cuffs and his own ropework, kirumi flexing her wrists as she's let go, stretching out her arms. 

 

' thank you, shuichi, ' she echoes, with a grateful little bob of a curtsy. ' by the time we finish the motive videos, it may be too late for breakfast, but i will prepare an early lunch for us all. please tell me if you have any requests. ' 

 

' yeah, yeah, ' miu interjects. ' anyway, question is - who's next? ' 

 

[ VOTE NOW ! ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next few chapters will be short ones, each focusing on a motive video/reaction to it. i'll write all the ones that people seem to be interested in reading; if a character's gets no votes in the comments, i'll just briefly summarize what their motive was. 
> 
> sorry for the wait, please comment if you liked, etc! thanks for 2k hits!!!
> 
> discord link is here: https://discord.gg/mxwArA5


	17. motive: korekiyo shinguji

' so, ' miu asks, still leaning back in her seat, tossing her remote back and forth from hand to hand, looking almost . . . nonchalant about it. knowing miu, though, and knowing the way she so easily crumbled, kaede would wager a guess that she was more stressed out or much more aware of the pressure of the current situation than she was acting. ' who's up next? '

' may i offer a suggestion? ' it's kirumi's voice, delicate and poised as ever, and the group seems to have no objection to it. hearing the emptiness of the dining hall in response to her question, kirumi tips her head and continues. ' given that it was korekiyo who gathered us here to do this, and who had bound me . . . perhaps we should watch his yet. '

there's a murmur rippling through kaede's classmates in response to that, though it's hard to tell for the time being whether it's positive or negative.

' his just has to do with his sister, right? ' kaede asks rantaro quietly. ' did we ever actually watch it? '

' i don't think so, ' he says, mildly. ' but he did have a point to kirumi earlier, when he said that his motive was his sister, but he would have no reason to escape, since she was dead. if she's dead, and here with him . . . what could his motive to kill possibly be? ' kaede shakes her head, frowning, and her eyes suddenly widen, hand pressing over her mouth as something occurs to her.

rantaro blinks at her quizzically.

' you don't think . . . ' she swallows. ' you don't think they'd reveal  _ that  _ about him in his motive video, do you? ' she asks a little anxiously, lowering her hand, and rantaro's face is carefully measured even as he processes that, imagines the possibility.

' well, ' he says, ' i . . . certainly wouldn't put it past monokuma. ' his face looks as placid as ever, but kaede thinks, for a second, she sees something like worry brewing in the back of his eyes. she rests her hand on his shoulder, and he blinks, and it's gone, quickly hidden behind his easygoing façade as easily as if she had flipped a switch. ' there's not exactly much we can do about it now, though, is there? ' he says lightly. ' let's just see how this plays out. '

' i have no objections towards that, ' kiyo says, after considering kirumi's proposition for a moment. ' i do suppose it is only what's fair, after all. ' he takes to the suggestion with a surprising grace, thin fingers just cradling his cup of tea.

' so we all settled, then? we'll watch kiyo's next? ' miu asks, impatiently bouncing the remote in her hand. 

 

' i'm still not sure we should do this at all, ' kiibo says cautiously. ' watching kirumi's video was one thing, but . . . seeing what was on that, is it really such a good idea to watch all of ours? what if seeing their motive makes someone else want to kill? ' 

 

' oh for fuck's sake, ' miu grunts. ' we've already done this bit, dickless! get with the program. ' kiibo looks like he could protest, but before he can get out another word, miu aggressively punches one of the buttons on the remote, and a new video starts playing. 

 

it starts the same way. 

 

' alright! back by popular demand, the motive video! who's the most important person in  _ your  _ life? and now, without further ado! ' korekiyo's silhouette appears on screen, and kaede, not for the first time, wonders how long this must have been planned. if they had this information on them, if they had built her execution specifically for her - how long had this been in motion? 

 

she swallowed back a shudder at the question that came to her mind. ( did they  _ all  _ have execution stages built for them already, or were there some of them who might have been marked as murderers from the start? )

 

' korekiyo shinguji, the ultimate anthropologist. ' 

 

the screen fades to a picture of a young girl, about twelve years old, in festival wear, a joyous grin wide on her face as she smiles at the camera. fast asleep, resting his head and one hand on her thigh, is a four year old boy with a bowl cut, the hand he was resting on her leg hiding his face from the camera. it has to be kiyo. kaede almost smiles, seeing him like that. ' you were a pretty cute kid, kiyo, ' rantaro says, mildly, and kaede can't help but hide a snicker at the glare kiyo sends rantaro, sneaking through his composure for a moment. 

 

' a scholar from the day he was able to read, korekiyo's careful analysis and thorough knowledge of folklore and human nature make him already sought-after by many universities as an anthropological consultant. the person to get him on this path, of course, is his beloved sister. ' 

 

the screen switches to another photo of the two of them, but radically different - they're in a hospital room. kiyo is about twelve, hair already down to his shoulderblades and medical mask covering his face, and sister clearly sick, in a hospital gown. though she still tries to smile at the camera, her expression seems . . . cold. and though he's not even a teenager yet, worry seems to be lining the younger korekiyo's face. 

 

' and now, we bring you some never-before-seen footage of this upstanding young lady! ' monokuma's voice chirrups, and kiyo sits up just a little in his seat, eyes intently focused on the camera. 

 

it switches to - it looks like it could be security camera footage, the audio surprisingly clear, given the situation. sister looks as thuogh she's a young woman - a bit less than twenty, perhaps. there's a man sitting on the foot of her bed, holding an envelope. 

 

' this is really your final choice on the matter? ' the suited man asks, raising an eyebrow. 

 

sister folds her fingers together, resting in her lap daintily. ' i told you i've made up my mind. even if our parents [REDACTED], i  _ am  _ his legal guardian now, and i'm telling you he doesn't need to see it. ' 

 

' doesn't he deserve to? ' the man in the suit asks. her jaw stiffens slightly, and for a second her facade cracks, upper lip curling into something like a sneer, before her countenance smooths over altogether, calm, calm, calm as ever. 

 

' very well. i'll put it in my own will, then. but with stipulations. ' 

 

the screen swamps into a blur of color, and monokuma appears in front of the screen, the envelope that had been in the man's hand comically big by the side. 

 

' but what was sister dearest hiding from her younger brother? what were the contents of  _ her  _ will, considering she died far before korekiyo turned eighteen? puhuhuhuhu! ' he presses a hand over his mouth coyly. ' it's a secret! find out when you graduate! ' 

 

the lights flip back on, and kaede and rantaro's eyes both turn towards sister, who has floated out of kiyo, her arms draped over kiyo's shoulders, frown deep on her face, though it disappears when she realizes that kaede and rantaro are looking at her, just raising one eyebrow with an icy kind of expression. 

 

kiyo, meanwhile, looks like he can't decide whether to be shocked or hurt. 

 

' shit, man, i'm sorry about your sister, ' kaito says, rubbing the back of his head a little bit awkwardly. ' how long ago did she die? ' 

 

' . . . four years back, ' he says, eyes trained down on the table, brows tugged together. ' i . . . can't believe she would hide something from me. ' he's hugging his shoulders tightly, and his distress is clear even to kaede. 

 

' well, there is always the chance that she  _ didn't,  _ ' ryoma states around his candy cigarette. ' not really like we can trust monokuma to be telling the truth. ' 

 

' what reason would he have to lie? ' kiyo asks. ' this is . . . hardly something i would kill over. ' his voice is troubled, and his eyes flick to where sister is. 

 

' it's a lie, ' she says, voice melodic. ' dear korekiyo . . . you know i would never keep anything from you. i love you. ' 

 

he can't acknowledge it, of course. but he does dig his fingertips into his shoulders just a little bit harder, and despite her assurance, the doubt on his face doesn't leave. kaede feels a vicious sort of victory spike in her stomach at the way sister's jaw clenches, at the way kiyo's eyes seem just a little unfocused. good. maybe he would stop listening to her so easily all the time, now. 

 

' so we've got mommy being the prime minister, ' kokichi says, swinging his legs, elbow resting on the table, ' and kiki's dead sister turning out to be an even bigger liar than me! ' he grins, framing his face with his hands. ' oooo, this is exciting! '

 

' speak for yourself, ' kiibo says, frowning at his delighted tone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short, and SUPER late, but i did at least warn yall about the first part. here's kiyo's motive video down! still vote for whoever's you want next - kiyo, kirumi, kaede, and rantaro's are all off the list, though, of course.


	18. motive: shuichi saihara

the group is stirring uneasily – with the thought of kirumi and kiyo's motive videos planted in their minds, the thought of what might be in their own is filling everyone with a queasy sense of anticipation. kaede can understand it – she's frustrated, if she has to be honest. it doesn't seem like monokuma released her or rantaro's videos. which is . . . understandable, of course, and it's not like she'd be able to do anything about it anyway.

 

but if her loved ones were in trouble, she wanted to _know._

 

( but given that they edited ryoma's video, how did she know that whatever she might have seen would be true? for that matter, how did they know that any of these were true? well – she cast a glance in sister's direction. she insisted the video was a lie. and if kaede were inclined to believe her, that would put the authenticity of all the motives into question. however, kaede was _not_ that charitable. )

 

' hey. ' it's miu, one foot tapping the ground impatiently. she's trying to look as flippant as ever, but there's something a little bit off to it – her eyes darting between the other members of her class, her knuckles white where she holds onto the remote, her voice a little bit more serious than she probably intends for it to be. she's afraid as well, kaede realizes, and even though miu probably won't feel it, she drifts over and rests an incorporeal hand on the other girl's shoulder. ' so, dickholes. who's up next, huh? '

 

( sometimes, however, miu was a little bit harder to empathize with. )

 

some of their classmates look between each other. tenko raises her hand. ' if no one else wants to go, tenko can! ' she states, jutting her chin out proudly.

 

' i wouldn't mind havin' something to live for, ' ryoma states, pulling his candy cigarette out of his mouth, his eyes flicking between kiyo and kirumi, both of whom do definitely seem affected by their motives. ' if it's somethin' enough to kill for, it's gotta be somethin' worth living for, too. right? '

 

kaede hopes the really overt glance miu shoots kiyo goes unnoticed by ryoma, a sentiment it really seems like kiyo shares, given that his only reaction is to narrow his eyes almost imperceptibly. kokichi, however, doesn't seem particularly invested in seeing his own. kaede wonders if he's already seen it. if he's already seen all of them, while the rest of them were carrying out the part of the plan with kirumi. she sighs. it's not as though she can ask him anytime soon.

 

' quite a team we've got, huh? ' it's rantaro, leaning on the table next to her again, with a placid smile.

 

she sighs. ' they're all very smart, but sometimes i worry, you know that . . . kokichi doesn't really trust us, or miu's going to give something away by accident, or kiyo . . . i don't even really know, with kiyo. that his sister is going to do something, maybe, or that he could kill someone, or – i don't know. '

 

rantaro rests a hand on her shoulder. ' hey. relax. you've got an eye on all of them, right? that means they'll be fine. ' it's a silly reassurance, and not quite serious, if the little half-smile on his face is anything to go off of, but it does make her feel better somehow.

 

' ah – actually, do you think i might be able to watch mine? ' it's a voice she didn't quite expect to speak up, shuichi ducking back just a little bit at the attention turned his way. ' kokichi told me . . . some of all of this, while it was happening, but you didn't say anything about my video. i want to know if that was . . . for a reason. if you were hiding something. '

 

' _was_ he hiding something? ' kaede hisses through her teeth to rantaro, who just shrugs.

 

' with kokichi? who knows. i don't think that his motive video was really anything worth hiding from him, ' he muses, arms crossed.

 

( kaede still wishes they were working more with shuichi than kokichi, if she was going to be honest. but the strange group of . . . friends? she supposes they have to be, given that she had been the one to state they were all going to be friends once they got out of here – is starting to warm up to her. except kiyo's sister. she just threw her off more and more the longer she knew her. )

 

' i think that's only fair, ' kiyo says evenly. ' of course, it isn't our fault that kokichi seemed to tell shuichi only as much as suited him, but i'm willing to take responsibility for it. miu, can you play shuichi's video? '

 

miu nods, jabbing at the remote, and kokichi dances over to the light switch again, flicking them off as the dramatic blue and orange title card is brought up on the tv screen. ' alright! back by popular demand, it's time for the motive video! who's the most important person in _your_ life? ' this time, it's said by two people – monokuma's voice in the voiceover, and kokichi, in a high mocking imitation of monokuma's voice, mocking the intro that they've now already heard twice. there's a reluctant sort of laugh from some of the group at that.

' and now, without further ado . . . shuichi saihara, the ultimate detective. ' monokuma announces, voice smug. even through the dark of the room, kaede can see shuichi reach as though for the brim of his hat, though he doesn't wear it anymore.

 

the video swaps to a photo of shuichi, what looks like a year or two ago, ducking his head bashfully, by the hip of a man that looks vaguely like him, with a mess of black hair and a similar cowlick to his own, shuichi turning over that same hat in his hands. ' this upstanding young man, for the past few years, has been helping his uncle solve various cases brought to his agency, including the case that got him his title here at this prestigious school. but recently, there's been a new development in one of these cases! '

 

the screen switches, and kaede hears herself gasp – and she's not the only one.

 

on the tv, there's a gory scene depicted – a man, unfamiliar to her at least, face-down in a pool of his own blood, a violent and visceral pink, a visible dent apparent in his skull. it's not the same man – presumably shuichi's uncle – as had been in the previous picture, at least, something that gives kaede a sick feeling of relief that she immediately feels guilty for.

 

but it seems like shuichi recognizes him, his eyes turned huge in his head.

 

' this poor man is the very same person our dear shuichi helped put behind bars. unfortunately, while he was serving his time, an unfortunate accident befell him! ' the bloody scene swims on the screen, turning to a photo negative, which monokuma pops up in front of him. ' who's the person responsible for this accident? the police sure don't know! there's only one person who has the background information necessary to find the culprit! will there be any justice for this poor perp? ' monokuma laughs, bright and grating. ' there's only one way to find out! '

 

kokichi switches the lights back on, revealing a set of faces that were significantly more pale than they had been when the lights had first gone down.

 

all the eyes in the room immediately flick to shuichi, who looks as though he's on the verge of panic, swallowing and scooting his chair back just a little from the table, hands reflexively clenching and unclenching in front of him, eyes unseeing. kaede's heart goes out to him. it had been _horrible_ when she found out she had caused rantaro's death, and it . . . hadn't really gotten any better, even when they found out it probably hadn't been her that was responsible for his death. being blamed for someone else's death . . . it can't be easy for him.

 

' shuichi. ' it's kirumi's voice, calm and calming, a sort of authoritative that makes shuichi's hands still a little bit. kaede can almost see why she would be trusted by the prime minister to have that kind of job. there's something incredibly _steady_ about her, and it seems like shuichi isn't even the only one affected by it, a good handful of people sitting up just a little straighter at the sound of her voice. ' who was that? '

 

shuichi is reaching for the brim of his hat again, brushing a strand of hair out of his face a little superfluously to conceal the gesture. ' it's – ' he swallows. ' so . . . the case that i got called the ultimate detective for – it was finding out that that man had killed someone. but – it was someone . . . who had killed his entire family. the man who's face-down – that's the one i ended up convicting. ' there are tears beginning to mist over his eyes. ' he was in jail because of me, and now he's – '

 

' shuichi. hey. it's not your fault, bro, ' kaito says, leaning over and resting one hand on his shoulder, eyebrows drawn together. ' how were you supposed to stop this from happening? '

 

' i don't think the point was that he could have prevented it, ' maki states tersely, fingers drumming on the table, the rest of the group looking a little bit surprised that she was speaking at all. ' the point is that whoever did it is still at large, and shuichi is the only one who could know who that person is. '

 

' gonta doesn't think that's being very helpful to shuichi, ' gonta states, eyebrows drawing together. ' don't worry, shuichi! gonta thinks that you can definitely figure it out, when all of us get out of here! '

 

shuichi tries to smile a little bit at that, though it comes off as kind of weak. ' . . . thanks, gonta. '

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoops this took awhile. anyway, review, leave notes as to whose video you want next, etc. sorry for being a bad author sdjhfsdk


	19. motive: ryoma hoshi

‘ so. chaba-shit-rag, you said you’d wanna go next? ‘ miu asks, carelessly tossing the remote up and down in one hand. ‘ course, i might wanna finally watch my own fuckin’ video. least you all owe me after getting this mess set up, you know. ‘ cockily, she tips up her chin, rests her hands on her hips. ‘ in fact, you should all be kissing my boots, dipshits! if i wasn’t sitting down right now, i’d ask you all to get on your knees and thank me. ‘

 

her voice, as ever, is filled with bravado. but kaede watches her fingers restlessly tap a frenetic staccato beat across the top of the cafeteria table, and recognizes . . . she’s nervous, to see her own. after seeing some of the things that had been in the others’, kaede can’t really blame her, either.

 

‘ hold on a moment. ‘ it’s a deep voice, and their attention shifts towards ryoma, who had been the one to speak. he’s holding . . . kaede wonders if the bitten-off stub of a candy cigarette could be considered the butt. one way or another, it’s the end of it, barely longer than an actual cigarette butt.his face is as stoic as it ever is, but there’s something a little dark present in his eyes. now that he has everyone’s attention, he leans back a little bit. ‘ i want to see mine. look - these are supposed to give us something we’re willing to kill for, arent they? i wanna see if mine has something i can live for. ‘ 

 

miu glances at kiyo, who folds his fingers together, face unreadable for a moment as he shifts his own gaze to look in ryoma’s direction, brows pulling together almost imperceptibly. kaede thinks if she hadn’t been spending so much time with him of late, she wouldn’t have noticed it at all. he turns back, nods to miu. ‘ it’s . . . understandable that he would want that. let’s watch ryoma’s. ‘

 

miu looks shifty for a moment, nervousness making her fingers tremble and her confidence shake for a moment.

 

kaede had actually begun to think of miu as a friend during the time they’d been working with her. she had no way of knowing that kaede was there, silently cheering on her work, but she liked to believe some part of her felt it, anyway. between this and the cameras and drone, miu had proven herself to be a brilliant inventor, and, despite her brashness, a good friend and person to have around.

 

one thing she was _not_ good at, though, was lying.

 

something kokichi seems to clearly have picked up on, scowl present on his face for a second before he exaggerates it, turns it into a childish sort of glare. ‘ come on, tits for brains! are you gonna play the video, or are you too stupid to even know how to push a button right? ‘ miu shivered at that, but it seemed to give her some kind of driving force, and she pressed the play button, starting ryoma’s ( new and improved ) motive video.

 

‘ alright! back by popular demand, it’s time for the motive video! who’s the most important person in _your_ life? ‘

 

kaede had almost gotten used to that opening spiel by now, a fact that made her deeply uncomfortable. she didn’t want to think about ever getting _used_ to monokuma’s voice, much less some of the things he said, and the deadly or devastating consequences they would have. ( briefly, her fingers find her own throat, the deep bruises left on her spirit form by the collar, and she shudders. no, she didn’t ever want to get used to monokuma. )

 

‘ and now, without further ado . . . ‘ his cheerful voice rings out, and kaede can see ryoma sit forwards in his seat, eyes narrowed and expression intense. ‘ ryoma hoshi, the ultimate tennis player. this young man used to be a sports prodigy, before tragedy struck! ‘ across the screen, newspapers dramatically spiral out, showing the various headlines of ryoma’s family members and loved ones being killed off, one by one, by the mafia, and then the sudden spurt of _killer tennis!_ headlines. ‘ he took matters into his own hands, and killed the mafia that killed his family. an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. ‘

 

kaede can see ryoma’s small hands curl into fists on the surface of the table for a moment, but there’s nothing more than resignation on his face - this is all already things he knows.

 

‘ he was sent to prison for his deadly racketeering, and cut himself off from the few people who remained close to him - the members of his team, and even his kitty. and that was that - until now. ‘ the screen swims with shadowy figures looming over a handful of people who are presumably ryoma’s tennis team, looking fearful. ‘ with ryoma’s sudden disappearance from prison, it appears as though he’s escaped altogether! good for him! but the rekindled mafia doesn’t think this is quite as much of a miracle. in fact, they’re _furious_ at our dear ryoma for his escape. currently, they’re working on a plan to draw him out of wherever they think he’s hiding. and it might just involve his dear teammates! what an unfortunate time to be a team player! ‘

 

monokuma appears on the screen, giggling. ‘ what does this plan involve? has it already been carried out? who knows! find out after graduation! puhuhuhu . . . ! ‘

 

the video ends, and they all look to ryoma - except for kaede and rantaro. she can see him looking at tsumugi as well, and can almost feel him grinning besides her at her brief thunderstruck expression, confusion flashing before her eyes before she adjusts her glasses, a steely sort of resolve flooding over her, and turning to ryoma with the rest of them, meek demeanor once again donned.

 

kaede can’t help but feel victorious, for a second.

 

it’s a small victory, but they’ve definitely thrown a wrench into the works in some way. she doesn’t know what that means, just yet, but things are no longer going the way they’re supposed to, and it almost feels like it might have been worth dying, if she can ruin the mastermind’s plan, like this.

 

she shouldn’t get ahead of herself. this is a small step. but it’s one in the right direction.

 

or - two, even, given the resolve beginning to set in over ryoma’s face.

 

‘ i didn’t even think they wanted to be associated with me, anymore, ‘ he says, shaking his head and contemplatively spinning a fresh candy cigarette in one hand. ‘ damn. i thought . . . i made them safe, cutting contact with them. ‘

 

‘ looks like you diiidn’t, though! ‘ kokichi sings. ‘ you had to go and mess up, huh? ‘

 

‘ shut up, ‘ ryoma says calmly, and kokichi pouts, but kaede can see through it - he’s got the same sort of glint of victory to his expression as well, and she can’t help but feel he must have also seen tsumugi’s expression. this part of their plan was really and truly _working._ ryoma looks down at his hands, methodically snapping his candy cigarette into smaller and smaller pieces as he thought, before looking up - this time at shuichi. ‘ shuichi. ‘

 

the detective startles a little in his seat, clearly not having thought he would be called on like this - and possibly still contemplating the course of his own motive video. ‘ me? ‘

 

ryoma nods. ‘ kaede entrusted you with her wish, right? for all of us to get out of here. ‘ he huffs and reclines in his seat, sweeping the little shattered pieces of his candy cigarette off the table. ‘ might be a bit too late for that, given that she and rantaro are gone. but i want to get out now, too. you’ve got me with you, one hundred percent. ‘

 

shuichi looks slightly bewildered by this, as though not quite sure what to do with the reassurance. ‘ so . . . you want to escape, ryoma? ‘

 

he nods. ‘ feels like i got a reponsibility to. i can’t have the only people i know getting hurt because of me. that just wouldn’t be very cool of me. so i’m with you. you’ve still got a long ways to go, but i believe you can do it. ‘

 

shuichi still looks kind of confused, but smiles cautiously at ryoma. ‘ i’m . . . glad you’ve got something to live for, then, ryoma. we’re going to get out of here. ‘

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took a REALLY long time. i'm thinking of just continuing back to the main plot of the story and giving a list of what the rest of the motives were or something like that - i want to get this story back on plot. tell me if you'd be okay with that, how you felt about this chapter, etc. 
> 
> also - comments are always welcome, please. getting one out of the blue on this is why i had the motivation to update! and we've hit 50k, finally!
> 
> discord for this story is here: https://discord.gg/mxwArA5


	20. Chapter 20

lunch was a very subdued thing, everybody lost somewhat in their thoughts as they ate. kirumi was, as always, an amazing cook, but they couldn’t help but look at her and think _prime minister,_ couldn’t help but look at her and wonder - _murderer?_

 

kiyo had postulated that all of them had the capability to be; and suggeted that that was perhaps the point of this entire set-up, whatever the mastermind intended to gain from it. it was a thought that comforted exactly no one, and it had earned him a withering look and an elbow to the ribs from kokichi for his troubles.

 

in general, kiyo wasn’t winning many points for popularity. maki was glaring hard enough at him and kokichi that if looks could tell, kaede was certain the anthropologist would have been reduced to little more than fine dust. the proclamation that she was _not,_ in fact, the ultimate child caretaker, but the ultimate assassin, had been a major shock to everyone - including maki herself, given that she had thought she had bought immunity from that piece of knowledge.

 

kaede thought they were . . . pretty lucky, all things considered.

 

given the number of shocking things that had been revealed, no one was going to look too closely at ryoma’s video to see that it had been tampered with. ( tsumugi might _want_ to, but it wasn’t like she could ask to see his video specifically without seeming suspicious. )

 

‘ do you think this was really a good idea, kokichi? korekiyo? ‘ kiibo asks, looking at the table in front of him - since he hadn’t exactly been able to eat to begin with, he didn’t even have the slight distraction the rest of them got in kirumi’s cooking. kaede felt sympathetic to him, now - she and rantaro hadn’t been able to eat in days, now, and it would make a welcome change of pace from the rest of the game. ‘ miu? was it . . . worth it? ‘

 

miu cringes away from the question a little bit, but kiyo’s face is calm, inclining his head slightly. ‘ i . . . think it was. in quantative measurements, we know whose motives are more dire. we’ve learned a little bit more about our classmates, which, _should_ anything unfortunately happen, might make it easier to profile each other. ‘

 

‘ oh, ‘ kaito says, looking a little put out. ‘ i thought you were gonna say somethin’ like, it might make us better as friends if we all communicated, or something like that. ‘

 

kiyo presses his fingertips together, eyes flicking towards him. ‘ . . . that too, i suppose. forgive me my cynicism. ‘ there’s something curious in his eyes, and kaede can see through him, for a moment, to the scholar he might be, outside of all of this - a deep sort of analytic. ‘ but one has to ask. we are well aware the ultimate hunt was occuring in the world, yes? monokuma could influence some of these catastrophes, like . . . kaito, my apologies, but your grandparents, or the case of ryoma’s teammates, incite the mafia, or the perpetrator in shuichi’s video. but there are some he certainly _couldn’t._ ‘

 

‘ right, ‘ shuichi says slowly, connecting the dots as kiyo lays them out, ‘ but there are things that he couldn’t have influenced. like - whatever was happening kirumi would need to manage as the prime minister. the disasters happening on angie’s island. ‘

 

kiyo nods, carefully setting his fork and knife crossed over each other on his plate, folding his fingers over one another. ‘ as well as the events befalling . . . gonta, your video called them reptites, yes? ‘

 

that, kaede thinks, was the fact that had hit them all like a brick wall at high velocity. monokuma, in his high-pitched cheerful voice, had all told them that gonta had not, in fact, been raised by wolves, but by a society of secret lizard people evolved from dinosaurs. gonta, in particular, looked distraught about it - he informed them all in a voice that made it sound like he was on the verge of tears that they had told him to keep their existence secret, and that they had raised him.

 

( they had all had to reassure him that, if they ever got out of here, they would never tell anyone about them. kokichi had made a snide comment that they might be too late to actually do anything even if they escaped with that information, something that had got him a few nasty looks and a kick to the shin. kaede couldn’t quite blame him, though. since his own video had played, there was a nervous energy running through him, turning his voice snappy and a little bit harsh. kaede . . . couldn’t tell if it was more because people knew too much about him, now, or because of the members of his group in danger. maybe it was both. )

 

‘ what point are you trying to make, korekiyo? you’ve stated that there are clearly a few disasters occuring in simultaneum, ‘ kirumi says, just beginning to eat her own meal. ‘ but do they necessarily relate to each other? ‘

 

kiyo tips his head in acknowledgement. ‘ perhaps not. but one of two things must be true. either monokuma is lying, or the world outside of us is in a great state of turmoil - that, curiously, both targets the ultimates, and requires them to solve. ‘ he laughs softly, an almost _rueful_ little sound. ‘ the apocalypse is an almost omnipresent theme across different mythologies. i never thought i would get to witness it myself . . . ‘

 

‘ d-don’t talk like that! ‘ tsumugi pipes up, speaking for one of the first times in awhile. ‘ it’s not like the world is ending . . . is it? ‘

 

kiyo’s eyes are deep yellow and unreadable as he fixes them on her, making tsumugi shift uncomfortably in her chair. ‘ well, ‘ rantaro says, leaning on the back of kiyo’s chair companionably, ‘ if anyone was going to know, it would be her, right? ‘

 

( tsumugi’s motive had almost been disappointing, to kaede. it turned out that a content creator that had been thought dead had just withdrawn into solitude for fifteen years, and had just recently emerged with a resolution, a second chapter, to their media that was thought to be forever unfinished. underwhelming, but for a second tsumugi had gotten a gleam to her eyes that made her look as though she really was capable of murder. )

 

( which, when kaede had pointed it out, rantaro had given her a dry look and drawled out that they already knew she was capable of murder. )

 

‘ it’s not as though i have all the answers, tsumugi, ‘ kiyo says, almost gracefully. ‘ what are your thoughts on the matter? ‘

 

tsumugi cowers back in her seat a little bit. ‘ i don’t really have any . . . i’m just a cosplayer, after all. i don’t really have any good input i could give on something like this! ‘ this seemed to satisfy everyone else, but kaede couldn’t help but narrow her eyes at her.

 

‘ perhaps, if the world is ending, it is for the best that we are all here, then! ‘ angie chirps, tipping her head to the side. ‘ that is what atua says, anyway! maybe we are all safer here, yes? ‘

 

‘ tell that to kaede and rantaro, you cultist bitch, ‘ miu snaps from her side of the table. ‘ what, are you saying weshould just stay here forever and wait till we die off one by one thanks to whatever mono-fuckface’s shit motive of the week is? ‘ her knee, under the table, bounces relentlessly. hers had also been one of the more ‘universal’ than ‘personal’ motives - that there were people who needed her inventions, that they might die otherwise.

 

that they needed _her._

 

kaede didn’t think she had ever seen a look on miu’s face like the one that had happened then - a sheer kind of desperation for a moment, laced with something almost like . . . longing. like loneliness.

 

‘ so what are you saying we should do? ‘ shuichi speaks up, hand resting on his chin and face creased with a deep sort of concentration, as though he was trying to piece everything together. ‘ we could keep trying to escape, of course, but i don’t think . . . ‘

 

‘ there’s no _pooiiiint,_ ‘ kokichi groans, resting his chin on the table. ‘ g-d, are you all really that _stupid?_ there’s no way that’s really a way out, and doing it again and again isn’t going to get us anything but depressed. ‘ but for a second, his eyes flick to miu, and though she cringes for a second, she nods at him once, slightly. kaede frowns, but it’s not as though she can ask kokichi about it now.

 

‘ so the tunnel is out, ‘ kaito says. he grimaces. ’ well, kokichi, what the fuck else are you saying we could _do?_ ‘

 

kokichi spreads his arms slightly. ‘ nothing, ‘ he says, tone of voice almost cheerful. ‘ we don’t do anything. ‘

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm just gonna be dropping what the other motives/reactions were throughout, rather than doing the rest of them, as you guys and the discord suggested! we're moving on with the story now!
> 
> as always, leave comments and so on! it really helps me stay motivated to keep writing this slowly-evolving monster of a story.
> 
> we've hit 20 chapters!


	21. Chapter 21

for a moment, at kokichi’s proclamation, there is silence.

 

‘ what the fuck do you mean, we do nothing? ‘ kaito’s the first one to speak. predictable, by korekiyo’s evaluation of them all. kaito, at his core, was a person driven by _action._ his beliefs were certainly strong, of course, but kiyo almost believes that kaito would respect someone more who stood up for beliefs that opposed his than a coward who shared them. his hands are clenched into fists on the table, one of them having ripped off the mask kiyo had made him so his outrage wouldn’t be muffled at all by the cloth.

 

he has to admit, though, he is curious to see what kokichi has planned. he raises a slim brow in the leader’s direction, and gets a dazzling gleam of teeth for his troubles. bright and flashy and revealing absolutely nothing. ah, well. such is kokichi’s way.

 

kokichi spreads his hands dramatically, like a magician about to reveal that the rabbit has disappeared from the hat altogether. ‘ well, maybe if you _listened_ to me instead of interrupting, kaito, you’d know, okaaaaay? ‘ he clasps his hands together. ‘ look. monokuma wants us to dance around for him, you know? so i’m saying that we just _don’t._ and not in some little way like we all _prooooomised_ to for kaede and rantaro, but that we don’t do anything, at all. ‘ he reaches inside of his jacket, tossing a small bottle back and forth almost carelessly between his hands.

 

‘ are those drugs? ‘ miu asks, her interest immediately perked, and kaede groans, resting her head in her hands. though she supposes it’s to be expected. hadn’t miu been looking for something along those lines when they first met her, after all?

 

‘ maybe if you shut your pig mouth, i’d tell you, ‘ kokichi says cheerfully. ‘ and . . . they’re sedatives. ‘

 

kiyo holds his hand out, and kokichi cheerfully, nonchalantly, tosses him the small bottle, korekiyo looking it over for a moment, before nodding, tapping the label. ‘ flunitrazepam. commonly used for surgeries. it seems to be . . . a very strong concentration. where did you get it? ‘

 

‘ it was in my lab, ‘ maki cuts in, her voice terse, fiddling with her hair, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. when everyone turns their attention towards her, she shrugs, a tense and jerky little thing. ‘ what? you all know what my real talent is now. no point in hiding it. it’s something i’ve used before to get someone to a secondary location. ‘

 

even knowing what they did, it was still a little jarring for kaede, thinking of maki as the ultimate assassin.

 

‘ . . . i think i understand what you are implying, ‘ kirumi says, folding her hands together in front of her, eyes narrowing slightly. ‘ are you implying that we remain unconscious? how are we meant to eat and drink in that time? ‘

 

‘ i believe between miu, you, and i, we could construct intravenous systems for everyone, ‘ kiyo muses. ‘ it would not be too hard. i know the ratio for a basic saline drip. miu, do you think you would be capable of that? ‘

 

miu scoffed. ‘ of course. i could build something like that with my eyes closed. ‘ idly, she scratches the back of her neck, thinking about it. ‘ of course, if you’re implying _all_ of us are gonna be under, i’d have to make some kinda . . . self replenishing system or some shit like that, and _that’d_ definitely take longer. it’d be way easier to just have a few people staying up, you know? ‘

 

‘ hold on a moment, ‘ kaito says, looking a little nervous, ‘ it’s not like all of us agreed to this, y’know? what if - ssssssomeone had necessary daily medications?how’d that be dealt with? ‘

 

‘ it’s a good question, ‘ ryoma says, shifting his candy cigarette to the other side of his mouth, gnawing at it thoughtfully. ‘ i’ve got some that needs to be administered every other day. ‘

 

miu nods, her arms crossed. ‘ well, with _that_ in mind, someone’d definitely need to stay up. it’d take me a week or two to build a nursing bot capable of doing all of that. but if someone’s monitoring them themselves, then . . . we should be good, y’know? ‘

 

‘ but . . . how are we going to pick someone who wouldn’t take advantage of that? ‘ kaede whispers, over kiyo’s shoulder. she doesn’t know why she’s whispering - it’s not as though anyone but him can hear her. but it _feels_ necessary, anyway, as though she were also sitting in on this meeting, rather than being an unobservable observer. ‘ if they decided to kill someone, couldn’t they do it really easily? ‘

 

kiyo doesn’t look at her, but he does part his hands slightly, speaking her thoughts. ‘ we need to address the elephant in the room, ‘ he says, voice mild. ‘ kaede killed rantaro. while her intentions may have been good, the fact remains that this game has been set in action, yes? how are we going to choose two people we will be able to trust to monitor everyone without possibly killing them for whatever motive monokuma tries to tempt them with in the interim? ‘

 

there’s an uneasy murmur going over the crowd, a few of them glancing between each other.

 

‘ well, i nominate myself! ‘ kiibo says, standing up at the table, one hand pressed to his metal chest where his heart would be. ‘ i do not have to sleep, so it would make it easy for me to monitor everyone! ‘

 

‘ yeah, but . . . do we really want someone who isn’t human being in charge of our health? ‘ himiko asks, head resting on the table, words half muffled into her arms as she speaks up for the first time during the meeting. ‘ that sounds like such a pain. ‘

 

‘ well, do you have a better idea, shit for brains? ‘ miu bites out at her, arms crossed. ‘ i’m sure as hell not doing it. ‘

 

‘ no one would trust a bitch like you to do it anyway, ‘ kokichi says, examining his nails with a feigned indifference. ‘ all monokuma would have to do is offer you a good vibrator, and you’d kill all of us off. ‘

 

‘ h-hey! ‘ miu protests, kokichi sticking his tongue out at her.

 

kiyo sighs, rubbing his eyes slightly. ‘ i also nominate myself. it is kokichi and i who have set this plan in motion, and i find it much more likely that you will trust me than him with our lives, yes? besides - it would hardly inspire faith in this plan if he was the one who suggested it, but unwilling to go under himself. ‘ those words are directed with a slight nod of his head in kokichi’s direction, kokichi acknowledging it with a brief seriousness in expression uncommon for him.

 

‘ me too, ‘ ryoma speaks up, though he doesn’t stand, like kiibo had, just raises one hand off the table to draw attention to himself for a moment. ‘ i have something to live for. but it’s not something i’m about to _kill_ for. i won’t do that again, especially not to people who don’t deserve it. ‘ he leans back in his seat, crossing his arms. ‘ that wouldn’t be very cool of me. ‘

 

‘ anyone else? ‘ kokichi asks, legs kicking idly. ‘ or should we just go with kiyo and ryoma, then? ‘

 

‘ hey! ‘ kiibo protested, albeit a little weakly. ‘ why them? ‘

 

‘ well, we can’t just have a heartless robot in charge of us. you might just go haywire and decide to kill us - ‘

 

‘ i - i also volunteer. ‘ it’s shuichi, standing up, his hands clenching and unclenching a little nervously. ‘ um, i just - well, i think most of you are able to trust me at this point, right? so . . . maybe i could do this for all of you. ‘

 

‘ well, we all trusted kirumi, too, ‘ maki points out bluntly. ‘ and look at how well that worked. ‘ shuichi grimaces at that, but doesn’t protest, just taking his seat again, tugging on the buttons of his suit awkwardly. kaede notices the gesture, imagines it must be a substitute for him tugging on his hat.

 

‘ well, ‘ kaito says, trying to maintain his bravado, ‘ should we all put it to a vote, then? i can count ‘em or whatever we need. i’m pretty good at math, you know? ‘

 

‘ oh, bravo, kaito! ‘ kokichi coos from his side of the table. ‘ you know how to count! i didn’t think you could do that, with your thick skull. ‘

 

‘ hey! ‘ kaito protests. ‘ i’m a fuckin’ astronaut, i’m - ‘

 

‘ oh my g——d, ‘ miu groans out. ‘ let’s put it to a fuckin’ vote already. if we’re all gonna be in a coma for however fuckin’ long, i wanna jack off one more time beforehand, i’m - ‘

 

‘ please be silent, ‘ kiyo says, glaring daggers at her, ‘ _forever._ ‘ 

 

‘ i think this might be more complicated than kokichi thought, ‘ rantaro says, floating over to stand at kaede’s side. ‘ can’t say i saw that coming, haha. ‘ while his demeanor is easygoing as ever, there’s something a little bit tense to his stance. ryoma, shuichi, kiyo, they could all . . . _predict_ for the most part, as watchers. but still . . .

 

‘ hopefully ryoma and kiyo or shuichi will win though, right? ‘ kaede replies, leaning in rantaro’s direction slightly. he just shrugs, and kaede wishes that the two of them could vote. that could change the outcome, after all. but .. . now all they could do was wait.

 

‘ since there’s two people, everyone can vote twice, ‘ kaito says, setting a bowl in the middle of the table. ‘ whoever gets the first and second most votes will be the people left watching over us. ‘

 

‘ who put this degenerate in charge? ‘ tenko demands, but even for her, it’s very half-hearted, already starting to write out the slips of paper, blatantly peeking over at whatever himiko had written on her slips, scowling at it, before reluctantly writing something out on her own paper.

 

kiyo’s hair frames their face, forming almost a curtain as they write something out on their paper, and kaede just _barely_ hears what he murmurs, his eyes still directed at the paper. ‘ i think there is an unforseen complication. something that we haven’t bothered to notice as much as we should have, while everything has been happening. ‘ with that, he passes his two pieces of paper forwards to kaito, who tosses them into the bowl.

 

kirumi is the last one to finish writing, passing up her carefully-folded pieces of paper. kaito begins sorting them into piles, mouthing numbers as he goes, his brow wrinkling up in apparent confusion that shifts to something like concern, as the pile of unsorted papers slowly dwindles down, and down, and down.

 

until he’s placing the last slip carefully into place. he scratches the back of his head for a moment. ‘ uh, this . . . doesn’t seem right. but - in first place is ryoma. and, uh, in second place, is - ‘ and his finger darts over the slips again, as though just making sure he’s counting it right. ‘ well, this is the part that doesn’t really track, i guess. ‘

 

‘ just read off the slips, fuckwad! ‘ miu calls out, her annoyance clear - but also clearly masking some tension.

 

kaito shakes his head. ‘ fine, then. ‘ he takes in a deep breath. ‘ the second person who’s gonna be watching over everyone . . . is angie yonaga. ‘

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> itssss been so long im so sorry but here you go, bone app the teeth
> 
> as always. join the discord
> 
> https://discordapp.com/invite/h6aZFNu

**Author's Note:**

> to be continued! i was interested in the idea of just - if the past dead students' spirits were hanging around the building and kiyo could just straight up talk to them.


End file.
